


All I Want for Christmas

by EclecticIsMyMiddleName



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Awkwardness, Bisexual Vinsmoke Sanji, Christmas, Cooking, Crushes, Domestic Fluff, Epilogue, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Guilt, Holidays, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Meeting the Parents, Mistletoe, Narcolepsy, Pet Names, Pets, Resolved Romantic Tension, Sharing a Bed, Swearing, Unresolved Romantic Tension, awkward first kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:14:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28103775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EclecticIsMyMiddleName/pseuds/EclecticIsMyMiddleName
Summary: Sanji's dad gives him shit for not having a partner to bring home to their yearly Christmas dinner. So Sanji devises a plan to get Zeff off his back by bringing home a fake boyfriend. Unfortunately, the only who can help him pull it off is someone he'd rather have be his /actual/ boyfriend: Ace.
Relationships: Portgas D. Ace/Vinsmoke Sanji, background zolu
Comments: 35
Kudos: 95





	1. Ch. 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm surprised this is my first fake dating au but here we goooo!
> 
> Thank you to Kite (kiite on here) for beta'ing!! You are so sweet!! :>
> 
> And yes, the title comes from the infamous Mariah Carey song lmao

Snow was falling outside as Sanji laid on his living room couch. A blanket was thrown over his lap to ward off the winter chill that crept into his apartment. One hand was folded behind his head, the other hovering with a cigarette between his fingers. His eyes were glued to the television attached to the wall, an amateur baking show playing on the screen.

“Ah, _no!”_ he groaned, grimacing at the contestant on the screen. “That’s too much butter for your cream cheese icing! You’re gonna ruin it!”

As the contestant continued to muck up their recipe, a sudden buzzing startled Sanji. Reaching for the remote, he muted the television, then pulled his phone out of his sweatpants’ pocket. 

The caller ID made him swear under his breath, and he answered it.

“Yeah, old geezer?” Sanji greeted, his words met with a scoff on the other end of the line.

“Is that any way to talk to your father, brat?” his father, Zeff, groused. “At least _pretend_ like you’re happy to hear from me!”

Sanji rolled his eyes. “Oh yes, I’m _ecstatic_ to hear your voice! That any better?”

“Don’t be so candid, shitty eggplant!” Zeff replied. “Anyway, let’s get right to the reason I called: our yearly Christmas dinner is coming up.”

Sanji took a quick drag of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke through his nostrils. “Why even call it a ‘Christmas dinner’? We barely celebrate the holiday-”

“Don’t be so pedantic, brat,” Zeff interrupted him. “We celebrate it in our own way. It was always enough for you when you were a skinny little kid, y’know?”

Sanji closed his eyes, guilt gnawing at him. 

After he moved out two years ago, he quickly made new friends that were far more enthusiastic about the holiday than his father had been. With Zeff, Christmas was less “festive” and more “eat a homemade dinner and exchange a few gifts”. No fanfare, twinkling lights, or exuberant laughter. 

“I… suppose I’ve gotten too used to what my friends and I do?” Sanji said, clearing his throat. “I hate to say it, old geezer, but you’re right. The way we celebrate was enough for me back then, and it is now.”

“Good to hear, brat,” Zeff said. Sanji felt a little swell of pride that was immediately crushed when Zeff continued, “So, are you actually bringing anyone this year? Or are you going stag again?”

“Ugh, not this _again!”_ Sanji exclaimed, getting to his feet and tossing the blanket aside. “You ask me this every damn year!”

“And every damn year, you don’t bring anyone home!” Zeff barked. “Look shitty eggplant, you’re twenty-one years old! You’re young and you should be seeing people while you have the chance!”

“I _do_ see people!” Sanji argued. “I have a lot of friends!”

“Friends that you don’t see often enough because you’re so absorbed in your damn work!” Zeff shot back. “Your boss called me and told me that you haven’t taken a day off in _months!_ Aren’t you burnt out _yet,_ brat?!”

“Ivankov called you?!” Sanji growled, curling his other hand into a fist. His cigarette got pinched between his fingers, crumpling with how tightly his hand was shut. “That shitty, nosy drag queen! I’m gonna turn him into a croquette the next time I see him for blabbing to you about-!”

“He did it out of concern for you, idiot!” Zeff pointed out harshly. He took a deep breath, and when he spoke again, his voice was more level. “No matter how much you may love your job as a cook, you need to take a day off every once in a while! Don’t you remember what I always told you?”

Sanji sighed, his anger ebbing slightly. “‘An unhappy cook makes shitty food’.”

“And are you _really_ happy, eggplant?”

Sanji paused, shoving his cigarette between his lips and chewing on the end of it.

The friend group he had made two years ago had started to drift apart in the past few months. Some of them had gotten new jobs. Some had moved away. And some had begun new relationships that took away from the time that they used to give to their friends. 

Out of a last ditch attempt to move on with his own life like his friends were doing, Sanji had gotten a job as a cook at Level 5.5. It was a themed restaurant and bar where the wait staff interacted with customers while decked out in outrageous attire. The owner - and his boss - Emprio Ivankov was a friendly enough person. 

Except for his tendency to be _nosy._

Sanji could usually avoid the drag queen’s prying if he stayed in the kitchen, cooking with the handful of other chefs that worked there. But there was no way that Ivankov would’ve missed the fact that Sanji hadn’t taken a day off in months.

Plopping down on the couch, Sanji’s voice was flat as he replied, “No, I guess I’m not.”

“I suspect you’ve been throwing yourself into your work a bit _too_ much lately, haven’t you, lad?” Zeff remarked, a note of understanding in his tone. “I know life can be rough sometimes, but it’s better in the long run if you take some time to relax. Only a foolish man would burn himself out until there’s nothin’ left.”

Sanji ran a hand through his hair, tugging on it to stave off the dull ache thrumming in his head. “I suppose you’re right, geezer.”

“Of course, I am!” Zeff replied, chuckling into the receiver. 

Sanji rolled his eyes at his father’s response. “I’ll be sure to take a couple of days off ahead of our dinner, then.”

“There’ll be no need for that,” Zeff said. “Your boss already gave you the time off.”

Sanji sat bolt upright, the tip of his cigarette glowing as he inhaled sharply. “He did what?!”

“Oh, didn’t he tell you?” Zeff asked, scoffing. “Well, at least you know now.”

“Mhm.” Sanji ground his teeth, distracted from the conversation by thinking of parking his foot in Ivankov’s ass for being so intrusive into his life. “I’ll be sure to ‘thank’ him, then.”

“I’ve got to go now, brat,” Zeff said, bringing Sanji back to reality. “But can you do one thing for me between now and the dinner?”

“Uh, sure, geezer,” Sanji replied. “What is it?”

Zeff laughed. “Find somebody to bring home this year!”

With that, he hung up before Sanji could get a word in.

If Sanji were a less patient man, he would’ve thrown his phone across the room. Instead, he tossed it onto the couch with a grumbled, “Shitty fucking geezer! Damn nosy old man!”

Too fired up to go back to his baking show, he paced around the room, raking his hands through his hair.

“Why does that shitty geezer care if I bring someone home or not?!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “So what if he’s right that I don’t spend as much time with my friends anymore?! That doesn’t mean I’m a hermit! Or that I can’t find a date for dinner!”

An idea hit him with enough force to make him stop in his tracks.

“That just might work,” he mumbled, scrambling back to the couch and grabbing his phone. “If that geezer wants me to bring someone home, then fine! I _will,_ dammit!”

After unlocking his phone, he scrolled through his contacts trying to find a suitable person to participate in his scheme.

“Hm, let’s see,” he muttered, sitting down on the couch. As he scrolled, he puffed on his cigarette. “I need to find someone in my age range that could fool that geezer into thinking we’re together. Just long enough for him to get off my back about a relationship!”

His contacts were listed alphabetically, so one of the first plausible candidates to come up was a pink-haired young man named Coby.

“Coby’s around the right age,” Sanji said, rubbing his chin. “But he and I have barely talked. Besides, he’s more Luffy’s friend than mine.”

Continuing on, Gin’s name popped up. 

“Oh, Gin! He might be a good candidate!”

Then Sanji remembered the first - and last - time that Gin had visited his father’s restaurant. Baratie had almost been destroyed by Gin’s boss. It had turned out that Gin was part of a ruthless gang and his leader had eyed Baratie as a potential headquarters. Even though Gin had helped to save the restaurant in the end, Sanji didn’t think Zeff would take too kindly to seeing him again.

“On second thought, maybe not?”

Moving on, he spied Luffy’s name next.

“I don’t think so,” Sanji chuckled. “He’d eat all the food before it was even on the table! _And_ break the dishes by accident!” Propping his chin in his hand, he added, “Besides, I think my old man already knows about Luffy and Zoro being together.”

Next came Nami, and Sanji lingered on her profile picture.

“Ah, what I wouldn’t give to present such a woman as my girlfriend!” Sanji sighed, exhaling a large plume of smoke with a goofy grin. “Her flawless skin, her beautiful hair, and that cute smile!” His lovesick feeling washed away at the relationship status on her profile. “Alas, she already has a lovely lady of her own!”

After a couple more seconds of thought, he remembered that underneath his friend’s charming appearance was the cutthroat mind of a business tycoon.

“Actually, even if I _could_ convince Nami to go along with the plan, she’d probably make me pay her for it,” he surmised, sighing and scrolling onward. “Oh, well.”

The name “Portgas D. Ace” popped up and Sanji paused.

Ace - Luffy’s older brother - had met Sanji a couple of years ago. They had gotten along fairly well. Conversation came easy to them and it wasn’t long before Sanji felt comfortable in Ace’s presence. Unlike Luffy, Ace was polite and considerate, which endeared him to Sanji fast. Ace could even make him laugh, something that not many other men knew how to do. 

It was only natural that Sanji had developed a little crush.

And it didn’t hurt that Ace was easy on the eyes, either. 

He was tall, and had a broad-shouldered build. He worked as a personal trainer, and Sanji had no doubt about it; Ace was muscular from head-to-toe. There was a tattoo going down his upper left arm, and one on his back that Sanji had only caught glimpses of. When they had first met, Ace’s dark, wavy hair had been cropped to his chin. But over the past two years, he had grown it down to a little past his shoulders. Freckles painted his cheeks, going over his nose and down his neck where they ended on his shoulders. His lips were almost always curved into a lazy grin. And his eyes - so deep brown that they were nearly black - left Sanji weak in the knees.

Okay, maybe he had a little _more_ than a crush on the guy?

But there was no way Ace would agree to Sanji’s idea. 

For one thing, he was an athletic guy that spent most of his time at the gym. When he wasn’t there, he was palling around with his own group of friends. And Sanji certainly didn’t know any of _them_ very well.

For another, they had kept semi-regular contact, but Sanji wasn’t sure if Ace would consider the two of them as “close”. At least, not enough to help him out in _this_ situation. 

“No, Ace would probably turn me down if I asked,” Sanji said, his gut sinking like a stone. “About the dinner idea and...anything else.”

Scrolling further, Sabo’s name came up. But he quickly moved on, remembering that Sabo was spending Christmas this year with his girlfriend in another city. If he hadn’t been out of the area, Sanji might have considered him for his scheme.

“Good thing Luffy blabbed about that to me a couple days ago so I didn’t waste my time calling Sabo.”

Now past the halfway point in his contacts, Sanji was getting a little desperate to find _anyone_ who would be a good candidate. Unfortunately, it seemed like fate delighted in continuing to screw him over.

“Usopp’s dating someone already, and my old man _knows_ it because I gave them coupons to Baratie for their anniversary,” Sanji grumbled. “Besides, Usopp would make up an elaborate backstory that my old man could pick apart in seconds.”

Zoro’s name was at the bottom of the list. Even if the mosshead _had_ been single, there was no way Sanji was about to ask that meathead to pretend to be his boyfriend!

“Ugh, God no!” Sanji groaned, scrolling back up just so he didn’t have to look at his profile picture. “Luffy can have him!”

Out of options, Sanji slowly scrolled back up to Ace’s profile.

“Well, what choice do I have?” Sanji said, sighing. “It’s either ask him or go stag again this year.” Rolling his eyes, he added, “And listen to my old geezer chew my ear off for it!”

Staring down at the “Call” button, Sanji furrowed his brows. Indecision made his thumb hover over the button, his hand shaking slightly. Anxiety churned in his gut.

What if Ace laughed at him?

What if thought it was a stupid idea and said no?

And worst of all, what if he was disgusted by Sanji and never wanted to talk to him again?!

Sanji took a breath to steady himself, and as he exhaled, some of the tension in his body eased away.

Enough that his thumb touched the button by accident.

“Fuck!” Sanji exclaimed, his pulse quickening as the dial tone sounded. “Shit!”

Before he could cancel the call, the other end of the receiver picked up.

Ace’s voice came in over the speaker, friendly and clear. “Hey there, stranger, what’s up?”

 _“Bye!”_ Sanji shouted, panicking and hanging up. As soon as he pressed the red button to end the call, he flung his phone onto the couch. “Shit, fuck! Why did I do that?!”

Sanji scrubbed a hand down his face, puffing on his cigarette deeply. He had to take a few seconds to calm down, and by the time he did, he had a cloud of smoke hanging over his head. Getting to his feet, he grabbed his phone and crossed to the other corner of the room.

“Okay, okay, you can do this!” he told himself, bringing up Ace’s number again. He pressed the “call” button, then started pacing back and forth in front of the television. The dial tone rang once, twice, then-

“Uh, hi there,” Ace answered, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. “This _is_ Sanji’s number, right?”

“W-Will you pretend to be my boyfriend for Christmas dinner at my father’s?!” Sanji blurted, the words leaving him before he had a chance to stop himself.

Silence followed.

A long, uninterrupted silence.

Sanji was sure Ace had hung up when-

“Uh, sure.”


	2. Ch. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace comes over to Sanji's and they discuss the plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my lovely friend, Kite (kiite) for beta'ing again!! I appreciate it!! ^u^

Sanji’s brain stopped working for a solid thirty seconds.

On the other end of the phone call, Ace cleared his throat. “Um, Sanji? You still there?”

That snapped Sanji out of his daze. “W-Wait, wait, wait. You knew it was me when you agreed, right?”

Ace snorted. “Well, yeah! Why else would I agree to it?”

“I don’t know!” Sanji flushed bright pink and raked his free hand through his hair. “You seemed unsure that it was me after I-!” He deflated, his panic replaced with crushing embarrassment. “-after I hung up on you.”

 _“Anyone_ would wonder if they had the right number after that,” Ace replied. “But after I heard your voice, I knew it was you. And I-” Ace hesitated, sounding almost shy. “-And I said, ‘yes’.”

“Yeah, you did,” Sanji said, his body moving on autopilot to the couch. As he sat down, he continued, “S-So, did you mean it?”

“That I’d pretend to be your boyfriend at your pops’ dinner?” Ace asked, clearing his throat. “W-Well, yeah! Of course! If you’re in a jam, I’d be more than happy to help a friend out!”

“‘Friend’?” Sanji repeated, feeling a pain like a shard of ice slicing into his ribs. “Oh. Right. Yes, of course.”

Silence descended on their conversation again, filled only by the faint sounds of their breathing.

After nearly a minute, Ace broke the silence first. “So uh, do you wanna meet up to go over a game plan, or-?”

“That’s a good idea,” Sanji interrupted, sitting up straighter. His free hand patted his shirt pocket, fumbling for his lighter. “To be honest, I haven’t really thought this out-”

Ace chuckled. “Yeah, I figured that.”

Sanji paused to flick his lighter, attempting to relight his cigarette. Three failed attempts later, he gave up and stubbed his used cigarette on a nearby ashtray. 

“Anyway Ace, I-I appreciate you agreeing to this shitty plan of mine,” Sanji said, tucking his hair behind his ear. “I just need my old man to think I’m dating someone so he’ll get off my back about it for a while.” Sanji’s hand fidgeted with the strings on his sweatpants as he leaned back. “Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

“Yeah, totally!” Ace replied. “Like I said, I’m happy to help out a - a friend!”

Sanji bit his lip, Ace’s stumble not going unnoticed. Still, he didn’t dwell on it, knowing that if he did, he’d overthink it. Ace was helping him out _as a friend._ Nothing more than that.

“So when did you want to meet up and discuss things?” Sanji asked, crossing one leg over the other. “We should make sure we get our stories straight, so my shitty old man doesn’t see right through them!”

“I’m free tonight, actually. I could come over and bring dinner-?”

“Your idea of ‘dinner’ would be a greasy pizza,” Sanji interjected, a teasing lilt in his voice as he added, “Or takeout that’s got a week’s worth of sodium!”

Ace’s laughter made the ends of Sanji’s lips curl upwards. “You’ve got a point, darlin’!”

The nickname made Sanji’s heart do a flip. “‘Darling’?”

“Is that okay to call you?” Ace asked, the amusement in his voice gone. “Sorry, it just slipped out! And I figured, since we’re gonna be pretendin’ to be together, that I’d try to see what pet names worked for you and-”

“Ace,” Sanji giggled. “You’re rambling.”

“Ah, sorry darlin’ - oh shit, I did it again!”

Sanji covered his mouth with his free hand to stifle a snort. “Tell you what? I’ll make dinner and you come on over. How’s that?”

Relief flooded Ace’s voice. “That sounds perfect! See you real soon!”

“See you,” Sanji replied, hanging up. He set his phone down, a giddy feeling in his chest. “He’s only helping me as a friend, but at least I get to see Ace soon!” His growing smile fell, his eyes going wide. “Shit, I’m gonna see Ace soon! _Tonight!”_

Jumping to his feet, he made a mad dash for his bedroom. 

“Shit, I gotta get ready!”

Fifteen minutes later, Sanji was running a comb through his hair when there was a knock at his front door. Throwing the comb onto his dresser, he rushed to the door. He spared a moment to straighten his appearance before answering it.

“Hey, Ace,” he greeted, grinning at the dark-haired man across the threshold. Ace returned his smile, a faint pink color on his freckled cheeks. “Glad you could make it. Come in, come in.”

“Thank you,” Ace replied, stepping into the living room and taking off his snow-covered boots at the door. He set them down on the welcome mat, then moved far enough inside that Sanji could close the door. Looking the blond up and down, he added, “You look real nice, by the way.”

“Oh, thank you!” Sanji said, flushing pink. His hand flew to his shirt collar, messing with the knot of his tie. He wore a white dress shirt paired with navy slacks. He had also swapped out his house slippers for work shoes. “I um, wanted to look nice.”

“You _always_ look nice,” Ace said softly, one hand palming the nape of his neck.

Sanji’s heart skipped a beat, and he cleared his throat. “I’ll get started on dinner! Anything in particular that you’d like?”

“Whatever you make is gonna taste amazing!” Ace replied, shrugging out of his winter coat. “So surprise me, I guess!”

“You like spicy food, right?” Sanji asked, heading to the kitchen. His living room led into the kitchen; there were no walls separating the two areas. So he could pause at the kitchen counter and still carry on a conversation with his guest. “How about spicy noodles?”

“Sounds right up my alley!” Ace glanced at the couch. “Um, mind if I take a load off?”

Sanji waved a hand. “Yeah, go ahead!”

“Appreciate it!” Ace nodded, then took off the beanie on his head. As he sat down, he ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it down. “So uh, you have dinner with your pops every year?”

“Yeah, he and I started the tradition when I was a little brat,” Sanji explained, getting out the pots and pans he would need. “When we first opened the family restaurant, we didn’t have a lot of money. So all we could do was a home cooked meal and a few gifts. Even after Baratie became a success, we still kept it simple every year.”

“Sounds like my Christmases growing up,” Ace remarked, throwing his hands up. “But I won’t bore you with the details.”

“No, no, it’s fine!” Sanji insisted, turning away from the sink, where he had just put down a pot for the noodles. Facing Ace, he sent him a smile. “I don’t mind hearing the details.”

Ace smiled, then looked off to the side. Sanji couldn’t be sure, but Ace’s cheeks looked pink again. Maybe he was still cold from the winter weather?

“Well, if you’re sure,” Ace started, leaning back against the couch. “Luffy, Sabo, and I grew up in the same foster home. We never had a lot of money; our foster mother used most of what she had just to keep us fed and clothed!”

“That sounds tough,” Sanji said, frowning as he returned to cooking dinner. 

As Sanji filled the pot with water, Ace continued, “It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. But we managed. If Sabo hadn’t gotten a scholarship, I doubt all three of us would’ve ended up goin’ to college!”

“I’m glad you _did_ end up going,” Sanji admitted, grateful his back was to Ace so the other man couldn’t see him turning pink. “Otherwise, I might not have gotten to meet you.”

Ace was quiet for a moment. When he did speak, there was a shy note to it that Sanji had rarely heard. “Ain’t you sweet? Y’know, I’m glad we met. And I’m glad my little brother has someone like you in his life.”

Butterflies danced in Sanji’s chest, and he didn’t stop the grin that broke out on his lips. “That’s very kind of you to say, Ace.”

Moving the pot - now full of water - to the stove, he flicked on the burner. The water started to heat up, and he pulled out a cutting board. Right when Sanji chose the knife he wanted to use, he heard footsteps behind him.

“Mind if I lend you a hand?” Ace asked, coming up beside him. “I may be a guest, but I hate to see you do all the work!”

Sanji could feel the warmth radiating off of Ace, and he swallowed hard at their close proximity. Before Sanji could answer, Ace’s hand enveloped the one holding the knife. Sanji’s hand burned at the contact, and he swore his heart was going to jump out of his chest. 

“Why don’t I handle this part?” Ace suggested, leaning in a little closer. “Not to brag, but I ain’t too bad at mincing!”

Sanji could only nod dumbly and ease his grip on the handle. Ace slipped the knife out of his hand, then grabbed the cutting board. 

“So, _chef-”_ Ace chuckled. “-whatcha need me to chop up?”

It took Sanji a second to find his voice, and when he did, he cleared his throat. “Well, I was planning on putting green onions and peppers into this dish. I’ve got the onions cut already, but would you mind mincing the peppers?”

“Not a problem!” Ace replied, twirling the knife in his hand. Sanji half-expected him to drop it or hurt himself, but Ace’s movements were smooth and clearly practiced. “Just give me how many ya need and I’ll do the rest!”

Sanji got out the vegetables he’d need, then washed the peppers. After handing them to Ace, he asked, “Where’d you learn the knife skills?”

“My foster mother,” Ace answered, getting to work cutting up the first pepper. “She liked to hunt. Oftentimes, it was the only way to ensure we had food on the table. She taught me how to skin an animal, and then me - being a reckless little shit - taught myself how to get fancy with a knife.”

Sanji poured olive oil in a pan and let it simmer. “Didn’t you hurt yourself?”

“Loads of times! Had to go to the ER once, too.” Ace was already through three peppers by the time Sanji started putting frozen shrimp in the pan. Ace sent a crooked grin at Sanji. “I learned my lesson eventually, but not before I had taught myself a couple of cool moves!”

Sanji shook his head, chuckling under his breath. “Dumbass...”

As they worked, their conversation spun on without aim. Ace even snuck in a few jokes that made Sanji laugh so hard that he had to stop what he was doing. After twenty minutes or so, dinner was ready at last. 

Sanji piled the spice-covered noodles onto a plate, garnishing them with green onion. Red and orange peppers mingled with tender cooked shrimp. As a final touch, Sanji put a sprig of parsley on the side of the dish.

“This looks delicious, darlin’!” Ace remarked, his grin falling away as he stood straighter. “Oh, right! I never learned if you’re okay with that name or not?”

“It’s fine, Ace,” Sanji assured him, picking up the plate. Steam billowed up from the dish. He mentally blamed it for the heat on his cheeks (and not the way Ace’s nickname sent his stomach for a loop). “Though I should probably have something to call you in return?” He quickly added, “For um, _authenticity._ So that geezer actually thinks we’re together.”

“Good point,” Ace replied, grabbing his own plate. Sanji led him a couple feet over to the small dining table by the window. “Whatcha got in mind?”

Sanji shrugged, sinking into his seat. “Well, I dunno…”

“Never thought about it?” Ace guessed, plopping down in the chair across from Sanji.

“Well, I never thought I’d be planning to bring home a fake boyfriend!” Sanji remarked dryly, earning him a laugh from Ace. “So forgive me if I haven’t spent much time thinking up hypothetical pet names!”

That last part wasn’t _entirely_ true, if Sanji was being honest with himself.

What he wasn’t telling Ace was that there _were_ times when he found himself wondering about pet names. What would they call each other if they were together? Did Ace like the traditional pet names, or did he like to throw funny curveballs out there? Make it up as he went along? 

As for Sanji, he didn’t need to get fancy when it came to terms of endearment for his partner. He tended to lean more towards the traditional ones, like “honey” or “darling”. But there was one that he always got stuck on when he envisioned he and Ace together.

“What about ‘dear’?” Sanji suggested, idly sticking his chopsticks into his noodles. “It’s plain and simple.”

“Well, I like it!” Ace said, grabbing a large portion of noodles with his chopsticks and slurping them down. Sanji snickered as Ace got sauce on his face, and handed him a napkin. “Ah, thank you. Y’know-” Ace let his eyes fall to the table, a small smile curling on the corners of his lips. “-I think I’d like just about anything you’d like to call me!”

“Even if I called you something terrible?” Sanji joked. “Like ‘shithead’ or ‘dumbass’?”

Ace snorted. “Yeah, those _are_ pretty terrible! But you know, if you’re sayin’ it right, I’d still know what they meant.”

“You mean saying it like it’s meant to be sweet?” Sanji said, leaning forward. His heart beat faster as he dared to lay his hand on top of Ace’s. “You mean like this?” Lowering his voice, he put on his best lovesick smile, his eyelids going down halfway. “You have food all over your cute face, shithead.”

Ace laughed, his face turning red as he covered his mouth with a napkin. 

Sanji sat back in his seat, retracting his hand. His palm and fingers burned from the contact, and he had to fight the urge to grab Ace’s hand again. Instead, he busied himself by digging into his meal.

Once Ace set the napkin down, he resumed eating. A grin spread across his face and he hummed in approval. “This is so good, darlin’! Your food is amazing!”

“You’re such a suck-up,” Sanji teased, pausing to take a drink. “I bet you’d say that to anyone who made dinner for you!”

“Only if ‘anyone’ is you,” Ace replied, so casually that he didn’t even notice Sanji choke on his water. When the blond started to cough, then Ace put his chopsticks down. Even though Sanji held up a hand to signal he was fine, Ace still got out of his seat and rushed to Sanji’s side. His hand rubbed circles on Sanji’s back as he said, “Hey, easy now. You okay?”

Sanji nodded, his breathing returning to normal. Even after he had recovered, Ace’s hand still lingered on his back, rubbing slow circles. Sanji lifted his head, meeting Ace’s eyes by accident. “Um, Ace?”

Ace knelt down, angling his chin up so he could maintain eye contact. Something soft entered his eyes and he leaned a little closer. “Yes, darlin’?” 

Sanji swallowed hard, his gaze drifting down to Ace’s lips. There were only a couple of inches between them now. Sanji could feel the regret twisting in his gut as the words left his lips. “Um, your food is getting cold.”

Ace straightened his back, his hand falling away as he stood up. “Oh, right. Of course.” He tried to crack a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. “I wouldn’t want your wonderful food to go to waste!”

They both returned to their meals, eating in silence for the majority of dinner. Ace finished his plate much sooner than Sanji, and took it to the sink to wash. Sanji was almost done with his food, but found his appetite had vanished. Still, he forced himself not to waste any of it. By the time he finished his plate, Ace was drying his dish.

“You didn’t have to wash that, y’know,” Sanji said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice. Getting to his feet, he carried his finished plate to the sink. “I could’ve done it.”

“It’s alright, dar--uh, Sanji,” Ace replied, setting the dry dish on the counter. “I didn’t wanna be rude. After all, you went through the trouble of making it for me!”

“You helped,” Sanji pointed out, rolling up his sleeves and beginning to scrub the plate clean. He kept his eyes down on the soapy water as he said, “I uh, didn’t mean to make things awkward earlier.”

“Neither did I.” Ace twisted the towel in his hands. “Sorry if I overstepped a boundary. I’ve always been a real tactile person by nature. I guess I forget that others don’t always like to be touched?”

Sanji wanted to tell him that he hadn’t minded. In fact, he _wanted_ Ace to be tactile around him; rub his back, throw an arm around his shoulders, hug him until he couldn’t breathe. But Sanji was too afraid that Ace would pick up on his feelings and be repulsed instead.

So Sanji said, “It’s fine. I mean it. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Then why do I still feel like I did?” Ace threw his towel over his shoulder and leaned against the counter. “Tell me honestly, did I make you uncomfortable? Is there something you ain’t telling me?”

With a sigh, Sanji stilled his hands, his shoulders sagging. “I promise you didn’t make me uncomfortable. I actually didn’t mind it. I’m just...not used to that much physical contact.”

Ace finally smiled again. “Even after two years around my brother? Luffy’s the most tactile person I know, other than myself!”

Sanji chuckled. “Yes, even after two years around him.”

“I understand,” Ace replied, crossing his arms and leaning to the side until his shoulder bumped with Sanji’s. “Thanks for bein’ honest with me, darlin’. Oh, is it still okay to call you that?”

Sanji felt his stomach churn a little at Ace’s honesty comment, but he pushed it aside. “Yeah, you can still call me that. After all, we’re gonna be pretending to be together, right?”

“Good point,” Ace said. “Guess we need to get used to using those pet names we picked out, eh?”

“Indeed we do, _dear,”_ Sanji joked, his spirits lifting at Ace’s chuckling. Sanji finished up the plate, then handed it to Ace. “If you would be so kind, _dearest.”_

Ace snorted. “Anything for you, _babe.”_

Sanji laughed softly and grabbed a spare towel to dry his hands. “Now, why don’t we go over the plan one more time?”

“Lay it on me, Blondie!” Ace said, pausing as Sanji snorted. “What?”

“That’s not a very original one,” Sanji teased, giggling as Ace flicked the towel at him. “Well, it’s not!”

“And ‘dear’ is _more_ original?” Ace flung the towel over Sanji’s shoulders, yanking him closer. “You just love makin’ fun of me, don’t you?”

“Maybe,” Sanji said, his face heating up as he realized how close they were. His heart beat harder against his rib cage, hope fluttering in his chest as he leaned forward. 

Ace seemed to realize how close they were, too. But instead of closing the gap between them, he let the towel fall and took a step back. Clearing his throat, he said, “So the plan, darlin’?”

Feeling like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on him, Sanji stood straighter. “Ah, right. The plan. Well-”

He led Ace back to the living room, where they both sat down on the couch. There was a good foot or so between them. 

“-I need my old geezer to think I’m dating someone so he’ll get off my back about not being in a relationship,” Sanji explained, crossing one leg over the other. He patted his shirt pocket for his cigarette packet. “I know you agreed on the phone, but if you ever want to back out, let me know.”

“Will do, but I don’t plan on quittin’ on you,” Ace replied, holding up a hand when Sanji offered him a cigarette. “No thanks, darlin’. But anyway, I said I’d help you out, so that’s what I’m going to do!”

“You really commit to something, huh?” Sanji remarked, flicking his lighter. Nothing sparked, and after three more attempts, he sighed. “Dammit.”

“Let me try,” Ace interjected, taking the lighter when Sanji handed it to him. On the first try, the lighter ignited and he held it up. Chuckling, he sent Sanji a wink. “Gotta have the right touch!”

“Show off,” Sanji grumbled, letting Ace light his cigarette. Once he took a drag, Ace returned the lighter to him. “Thanks, dear.”

The gentle tone of Ace’s voice caught Sanji off-guard. “No problem, Sanji.”

The sound of his own name rolling off the other man’s tongue gave Sanji a shiver, and he felt his face getting hot again. He cleared his throat before exhaling a plume of smoke. “So, Christmas is this Friday. Let’s meet up before then to go over the plan again, got it?”

“Y’know, I’m kinda on a break right now,” Ace replied, rubbing the base of his neck. “A lot of clients have canceled appointments for the holidays, so I don’t have much to do until after Christmas. So um, do you mind if I come over more than just the one day before the dinner?”

Sanji reached a hand up, tucking his hair behind his ear. “I-I wouldn’t mind at all, actually.”

“Great!” Ace scooted closer, his grin stretching wider. “It’s a date! Uh, w-well-” He flushed bright red, making his freckles stand out. “-not a ‘date date’! It’s - It’s a plan!”

Sanji broke into a grin and giggled. “God, you’re a dork!”

Ace relaxed against the couch, throwing an arm over the top of the backrest. “Ain’t ya glad you picked _me_ to be your fake-boyfriend?”

“Yeah, I am,” Sanji said, the words leaving him before he had a chance to reconsider them. “Thanks for coming over tonight, dear.”

Ace inched closer, holding Sanji’s gaze. The same softness from before returned to his eyes. “Thanks for havin’ me, darlin’.”

Taking his cigarette out of his mouth, Sanji chewed on his lower lip and dared to get a little closer. “And um, thanks for helping me with dinner.”

Ace shrugged, a laugh escaping him. “Thanks for cooking it!”

“Um, Ace?” Sanji asked, leaning in. 

Ace inclined his head, daring to lean in, too. “Mm?”

Sanji’s heart was pounding, his pulse racing. It wouldn’t take much to close the gap between them. A quick lean and their lips would touch. If Ace wanted this too, then everything would be fine.

But what if he _didn’t_ want it?

Ace said so himself; he’s a very tactile person. What if Sanji had been misinterpreting his signals? What if when Ace would sit closer and throw an arm over the couch, it was just him getting comfortable?

Ace’s words echoed in Sanji’s ears.

_“I’m happy to help out a friend!”_

Sanji’s expression fell, and he leaned back so he could sit up straight. Plastering on a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, he said, “When did you want to come over this week?”

The smile on Ace’s lips disappeared, and his eyes widened a little. “Oh, uh. Anytime, I s’pose. How about tomorrow?”

“How about a lunch date?” Sanji suggested, clearing his throat. He threw his hands in the air as he added, “Not a ‘date date’, but just - meeting here and we can cook lunch!”

Ace chuckled under his breath, that smile returning to his face. It made his eyes crinkle at the corners, dimples framing his face. “That sounds wonderful, darlin’.” He reached out like he was going to touch Sanji’s cheek, then retracted his hand. Getting to his feet, he yanked on his beanie. “I better be headin’ home, anyhow. I gotta make sure Luffy fed the cat for me.”

“Kotatsu, right?” Sanji said, standing and following Ace to the door. “I think you’ve told me about him before. A big Maine Coon?”

Ace nodded. “Yep! Luffy probably didn’t feed him. Y’know how Luffy’s a bit forgetful at times.”

Sanji scoffed. “God, _do_ I?”

Ace tugged on his boots, then sent Sanji one last smile. “Thanks again, darlin’. See ya tomorrow.”

“See you, dear,” Sanji replied, waiting as Ace turned his back to him and crossed through the door. 

He leaned against the door frame as Ace walked down the icy sidewalk to his car. The winter chill pierced him to the bone, but he didn’t want to move. It wasn’t until Ace was driving away that Sanji shut the door at last. After locking it, he leaned his back against it, then slid down until he was sitting on the floor. 

“I’m so screwed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a twitter if you wanna go follow me there!  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/EclecticWrites  
> My handle is @EclecticWrites.
> 
> I have a tumblr, too!!  
> Tumblr: eclecticwrites.tumblr.com


	3. Ch. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji and Ace spend more time together, and finally, it's Christmas Day!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A BIG thank you to my friend Kite (kiite) for beta'ing once again!! You are a dear!! :>

The next few days passed in a blur. It was hard for them not to, as Sanji enjoyed being around Ace so much that he lost track of time. The two of them went from hardly seeing one another to being around each other more than anyone else. Meeting for lunch turned into hanging out for the afternoon. By the third day, Ace stayed so late that he spent the night on Sanji’s couch. 

And with this increased time spent together, Sanji felt his guard slipping more and more. It used to be that just a simple touch - a brush of hands or a lingering hug - would make his heart beat wildly. Sanji wasn’t used to physical contact that was so open and free. But by the end of the week, he had grown so used to it that when Ace would sling an arm over his shoulders, he didn’t even flinch.

At last, it was Friday. Christmas Day.

And time to put Sanji’s plan into action.

It was mid-afternoon as Sanji idly flicked through the channels on the television, waiting for Ace to come by.

“I’m not surprised he’s late,” he mumbled, pausing on a cooking show. It held his attention until one of the hosts started substituting ingredients in the recipe with lackluster choices. “Ugh, how disrespectful to the dish!”

_Knock, knock!_

Sanji shot up, standing on his feet in an instant. Quickly turning the television off, he tossed the remote onto the couch. Heading for the front door, he ran his fingers through his hair to smooth it down.

“Coming!” he called, taking a breath before opening the door. On the other side stood Ace, smothered in a winter coat and covering his head with a beanie. “You’re late!”

“I know. I’m sorry, darlin’!” Ace replied, waiting until Sanji stepped aside so he could come in. As Sanji closed the door, Ace continued, “I would’ve been here sooner, but I got busy. I had to feed Kotatsu his breakfast late because Luffy forgot to.”

“There’s a surprise,” Sanji remarked dryly, holding out his hands. “Here, let me take your coat, dear.”

“Appreciate it,” Ace said, shrugging out of his coat. Beneath it, he was wearing a dress shirt tucked into slacks. Around his neck was a tie that was haphazardly knotted. “And after I fed Kotatsu, I got tired. So I laid down to take a little nap and it turned into an hour long one!” He laughed. “I swear, I didn’t mean to!”

Sanji chuckled, hanging Ace’s coat on a hook by the front door. “It’s alright. You still got here soon enough that we have some time before the dinner. It won’t be for another couple of hours.”

“‘Couple of hours’?” Ace repeated, tilting his head. “Then why did you ask me to come here at three in the afternoon?”

“Because my old geezer lives two hours away, and dinner’s not until six,” Sanji explained, reaching up to take off Ace’s hat. After slipping it off, he held the beanie in one hand so the other was free to comb through Ace’s hair. “I figured we could have a little time to ourselves before going.”

“I won’t say ‘no’ to that,” Ace replied, pink glowing in his cheeks as Sanji’s fingers glided through his hair. When Sanji’s fingers got caught in a knot, they both started laughing. “Ow, ow, ow. H-Hold on, darlin’!”

Sanji paused as Ace reached up, his hands closing around Sanji’s. With ease, he untangled Sanji’s fingers and combed through the knot in his hair.

“All better,” Ace said, bringing Sanji’s hand up so he could press his lips to Sanji’s knuckles. 

Bright red exploded over Sanji’s cheeks. He couldn’t help but giggle and bite his lower lip. “Um, save that for dinner.”

“What if I wanna get warmed up before then?” Ace joked, quirking a brow.

 _“Ace,”_ Sanji replied, his blush spreading down to his ears.

“Alright, darlin’, I’ll ease up,” Ace said, giving Sanji’s hand one last squeeze before letting it go. “So, your pops lives two hours away?”

“Yep. You brought your overnight bag, right?” Sanji asked, peering around Ace and raising an eyebrow. “Doesn’t look like you brought it. Did you forget that I told you he wants us to stay the night?”

Ace rubbed the nape of his neck. “Maybe.”

Sanji couldn’t find it in him to get mad. Chuckling, he said, “It’s okay. We can stop by your place to grab it before we go.”

“Sounds good to me,” Ace said, leaning down to slip off his boots. “You’ll get to meet Kotatsu, too!”

“I’ve certainly met the scratch marks he leaves on Luffy!” Sanji replied with a grin. “Is he a demon cat?”

“Nah, Luffy’s just too rough with him,” Ace said, thumping one boot after the other onto the floor. “Serves him right for picking him up when little Tatsu wants to be left alone.”

“Sometimes, I think Luffy’ll never learn,” Sanji said, crossing to the couch and fluffing one of the pillows. “C’mere, dear. I got the couch all ready for you!”

“Ain’t you sweet?” Ace teased, putting one hand on the top of the backrest and vaulting over the back. There was a solid _thump_ as he landed on the cushions. Folding his hands behind his head, he propped his feet up on the edge of the coffee table. “So, are we just gonna chill out until it’s time to leave?”

Sanji shrugged. “I figured that’s what we’d do. And then, I could answer any questions you might still have.”

“Well, I _do_ have one,” Ace said, lowering a hand to pat the empty space beside him. “Why don’t you come sit yourself down right by me today?”

Sanji tensed, his heart beating faster. 

Every time Ace had come over this past week, he had made himself comfortable on the couch. Sanji would join him, but sit a respectable distance away. Ace had never questioned it-

-until now.

“Are you sure?” Sanji asked quietly, his hands fidgeting with his tie. “I-I mean, it’s just the two of us right now, so you don’t have to pretend-”

“I ain’t pretending that I want you to sit right up beside me,” Ace interrupted, his voice softening. “I _want_ you to.” He lifted a hand, gesturing for Sanji to come closer. “C’mere, darlin’.”

Sanji took a deep breath and sat down on the couch. There were still a couple of inches separating them.

...Until Ace wound his arm between the couch and Sanji’s lower back.

“Hey!” Sanji exclaimed. “What-?!”

He didn’t have time to protest before Ace dragged him closer, only stopping when Sanji’s thigh was flush against his. 

“There, now!” Ace said, retracting his arm and throwing it over the backrest instead. With a cheeky grin, he added, “Ain’t this better?”

“You’re such a shithead,” Sanji replied, the laugh that burst from his throat betraying him. “An overly-tactile, attention-seeking shithead.”

“And yet, you still chose me to be your fake boyfriend,” Ace shot back, sending Sanji a wink. “Ain’t too late to back out now, y’know?”

“Like that’s gonna happen!” Sanji scoffed, glancing away. One of his hands reached up, tucking his blond hair behind his ear. “Besides, I don’t want to go through with this stupid plan with anyone but you.”

Ace’s grin disappeared, and he leaned closer. “I don’t think your plan is stupid.”

Sanji’s shoulder sagged as he sighed. “Thanks, dear.”

Ace squeezed Sanji’s upper arm, the arm over the back of the couch shifting down onto Sanji’s shoulders. “C’mon, darlin’. Why don’t we watch some TV and relax a little before this dinner?”

“I’d like that a lot,” Sanji replied, leaning back against the couch and grabbing the remote. 

He turned the television back on, skimming the channels until he found something that they both enjoyed. As they settled in, Sanji wasn’t even aware that he was leaning closer to Ace until he was pressed up against his side. The second he thought about moving away, Ace’s hand slid lower, his arm wrapping around Sanji’s waist. His heart jumped up to his throat, but after a few minutes, he relaxed again.

The two of them were so comfortable that they didn’t realize how much time had passed until it was an hour and a half later.

Sanji was the first to notice, after a quick glance at the clock on the wall. “Oh, shit! We’re gonna be late!”

It was a little chaotic as the two of them hopped to their feet. Sanji scrambled to turn off the television, then bolted for his bedroom. Meanwhile, Ace staggered as he tugged on his boots.

Sanji returned - a winter coat pulled on - just in time to see Ace grab his coat. Before he could slip it back on, Sanji put a hand on his chest to stop him.

“Wait a second,” Sanji said, ignoring the red that broke out on both of their faces at his hand position. He moved his hand up to Ace’s tie, fixing it before smoothing it down. “That’s been bothering me ever since you got here!”

Ace laughed. “You’re a dork!”

“Shut up,” Sanji mumbled, removing his hands so Ace could pull his coat on all the way. “Like you’re _not!”_ He cleared his throat, zipping up his coat all the way. “C’mon, let’s get going!”

By the time they got to Ace’s car, Sanji’s feet were soaked from the snow. He definitely should’ve worn snow boots and brought a pair of dress shoes to change into, but it was too late now. All he could do was keep his feet under the vent in Ace’s car and let the heat dry them.

Ace’s apartment (which he shared with his brother, Luffy) was only ten minutes away. But it might as well have been _hours_ with the way Sanji’s anxiety ate him up on the inside.

“My old geezer’s gonna be pissed that I’m not on-time!” Sanji complained as Ace parked his car. “I can’t believe I lost track of time like that!”

“I should’ve been payin’ attention, too!” Ace pointed out as he and Sanji made haste to exit the car. “It ain’t all your fault, y’know?”

“Yeah, but my shitty old man is gonna chew _my_ ear off, not yours!” Sanji replied, forcing himself to walk slower on the icy sidewalk. As they made their way to the door, he grumbled to himself under his breath.

Ace had his keys ready when they reached the front door. After unlocking it, he stepped inside and held it open for Sanji. 

“Thanks but we don’t have time for you to be a gentleman, dear!” Sanji remarked, the pet name slipping out by accident. 

As Ace rushed to his bedroom to grab his things, Luffy’s head poked out of his bedroom doorway down the hall. “Sanji’s here?”

“Yeah, I’m here!” Sanji groused, tapping his feet on the welcome mat to get the snow off of them. 

His guard flared up when another head - moss green hair and three dumb dangly earrings - popped out of Luffy’s doorway. Zoro’s head was positioned just above him, Luffy’s hair tickling his chin.

“Who’s ‘dear’?” Zoro asked, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t see anyone else here.”

“‘Deer’ is probably Chopper!” Luffy replied, craning his head up to look at his boyfriend. “Y’know, because of the deer onesie he likes to wear!”

“Oh, right,” Zoro said, frowning. “I knew that.”

“Chopper’s not even here, idiots!” Sanji snapped, taking a deep breath to calm himself. “Ace drove me here, okay?”

“Oh, Ace is here?” Luffy perked up. “Did he bring any food home with him?”

Zoro scoffed. “Your brother’s appetite is as big as yours, Luffy. There’s no way food would survive the trip back here.”

“Will you two stop being so damn nosy?!” Sanji barked, clenching his fists as he glared towards Ace’s bedroom door. “Hurry up, Ace!”

 _“Comin’, darlin’!”_ Ace yelled, bumping into the door frame as he scrambled out of his room. He didn’t see the bright red overtaking Sanji’s face, too busy trying to make sure his backpack didn’t fall off. “Sorry! I had to grab a few things!”

Luffy and Zoro both repeated, “‘Darlin’?!” and looked at each other before breaking into shit-eating grins.

Ace squeezed past Sanji in the doorway, heading for his car. Sanji stayed behind long enough to shoot Luffy and Zoro a glare. “If either of you two shitheads say _anything,_ I’m gonna filet you! Got it?!”

He didn’t wait for their answer, turning on his heel and following Ace to the car. As he got in and shut the door behind him, he realized they forgot to close the front door. Sanji buried his face in his hands as Ace hurried to run back up to the door, lock it, and run back. Halfway there, he slipped and landed on his ass. But before Sanji could see if he was alright, Ace was up and jumping into the driver’s seat.

“I’m okay!” Ace exclaimed, yanking on his seatbelt and pulling out of the driveway. “Let’s go!”

Sanji pulled up the directions on his phone, and the two of them headed out. There was nothing they could do about the speed, unless they wanted to hit a patch of ice or get pulled over by a cop. So as two hours crawled by, Sanji forced himself to relax as best he could. 

But it seemed like as soon as his nerves calmed down, his father’s house was coming into view. The gray front door - with its rounded top half - was reminiscent of the door on a ship. A brick façade decorated the front of the house, and the rest was covered with plain white siding. The yard was nothing fancy; a couple of bushes here and there blanketed by snow. Patches of brown grass peeked through holes in the snow that covered the lawn.

Because of the shorter daylight hours, the pitch-black night sky had already descended on them. A few lights were on in the house, plus a street lamp at the beginning of the driveway. Unlike his neighbors, Zeff hadn’t put out any holiday decorations. Not even a festive welcome mat or a wreath on the door. 

“His house sure looks lonesome, don’t it?” Ace remarked, parking the car. 

“Yeah, it does,” Sanji agreed, unbuckling his seatbelt. “I never really noticed, to be honest.”

“Maybe we can liven it up a bit, eh?” Ace replied, sending a reassuring smile Sanji’s way. 

Sanji spared him a smile in return before they got out of the car. Thankfully, there wasn’t any ice on the sidewalk here, and they reached the front door without any problems. Sanji took a deep breath before knocking.

The first thing Zeff said when he opened the door was, “You’re late!”

“Fuck off, old geezer!” Sanji snapped. “At least we’re here, aren’t we?!”

Zeff harrumphed, stepping aside so Ace and Sanji could cross the threshold. Sanji immediately went to the coat rack to hang his coat up, while Ace paused to take in his surroundings. 

He was standing on a blue and white striped rug, laid down on oak floorboards. The walls of the entryway were shiplap boards painted a crisp white. Beside them was a stairwell leading up to the second floor, the railing painted the same gray as the front door. Ace glanced up, spying the light hanging by a chain from the ceiling. It was metal and resembled an old-time gas-lit lantern.

“Are you gonna stand there in the cold gawkin’, or are you gonna come in so I can shut the door?” Zeff groused, startling Ace out of his reverie. Ace stumbled towards the coat rack with a mumbled apology and Zeff closed the door. “Kids these days have their heads in the clouds!”

“Be nice, damn geezer!” Sanji said, straightening his tie. “Or I won’t bring anyone home ever again!”

Zeff barked a laugh. _“Ha!_ I’m surprised ya found someone to bring home _this_ time!” He looked over at Ace and crossed his arms over his chest. “Two years since that little shit moved out, and he’s been coming to this dinner by himself! Then the year he _finally_ brings someone home, it’s out of the blue!”

Ace laughed, a slight nervous edge to it. “Well, to be fair, sir, Sanji and I only uh, _recently_ got together!”

“Besides-” Sanji interjected, yanking Ace’s beanie off his head. “I don’t owe you every detail of my private life, old geezer!”

Ace smoothed down his hair while Zeff scoffed. “What a disrespectful way to talk to your father, brat! And it ain’t like I don’t have a reason to be suspicious! After all, I told you to find someone to bring home at the start of the week and by the end of it, you’ve found someone!”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” Sanji replied, hanging the beanie on the rack and then putting his hands on his hips. “Or is your memory going, you shitty old man?”

“Why, you candid little shit!” Zeff growled, stepping forward with surprising speed and gripping Sanji’s earlobe. 

Ace threw his hands up placatingly, stepping closer to them. “Easy, now! I know it seems suspicious, sir, but I assure you that it’s not!”

Zeff cast a stern eye over to Ace and let go of Sanji’s ear. “Oh? Care to explain it, then?”

“Well sir, when you told Sanji to bring someone home-” Ace explained, his hands fidgeting with his tie. “-he called me to tell me about it. He was worried that he wouldn’t find anyone, so I felt like it was finally time for me to confess to him how I felt!”

Zeff stood straighter, rubbing his chin with one hand. “You decided it was finally time to be a man and confess, eh?”

“Yes, sir,” Ace replied, standing taller. “And I promise to be the best partner to Sanji that I can!”

“Well-” Zeff said, breaking into a grin and slapping Ace on the back. “-it’s good to see my stubborn little eggplant managed to land a respectful young man like you!”

“‘Eggplant’?” Ace repeated, biting down on the smile that threatened to overtake his face.

Sanji’s face grew hot, and he clenched his fists. “You shitty old geezer! Don’t call me that!”

“What’s wrong with the name I used to call you as a brat?” Zeff asked, giving Ace’s back another firm hit. “It ain’t like your boyfriend wouldn’t have found it out eventually!”

Zeff laughed while Sanji seethed. After his laughter died down, he turned his attention back to Ace.

“So, this is the boyfriend you told me about, brat?” Zeff remarked, scanning Ace with a shrewd eye. “Well, at least he’s not the one with the green hair! He got lost in my damn kitchen once and I swear, he was runnin’ around like he’d never see the light of day again!”

“Well, I promise my sense of direction ain’t _that_ bad, sir!” Ace replied, crossing back to Sanji’s side. He threw an arm around Sanji’s shoulders, angling himself so he could look at his pretend boyfriend. “Ain’t that right, sweetpea?”

“‘Sweetpea’?!” Sanji repeated, clearing his throat as heat rose to his cheeks. “Well uh, that’s a new one.”

“I’m tryin’ it out! Whatcha think?” Ace quirked an eyebrow. “Any good?”

“It-It’s fine,” Sanji mumbled, his pulse hammering in his ears.

Sanji was actually grateful that his old geezer interrupted them again.

“Well, let’s head into the dining room, shall we?” Zeff suggested, taking the lead.

Ace hurried to shed his coat and hang it on the rack before following Sanji, who trailed behind his father at a languid pace. They went under an archway that was rounded to match the front door, then found themselves in a decent-sized dining room. The table was long, supported by sturdy wooden legs with sea monsters carved into them. The chandelier above the table matched the lantern in the entryway, except that the metal curved into multiple arms that each had their own smaller lantern.

Ace approached the table, spying the three place settings. Two were at one end, sitting side-by-side. The other was at the far end of the table. “I take it that the two seats on this end are for Sanji and I?”

“You’d be correct,” Zeff replied, smirking as he lifted his gaze up to the rounded archway. “But I’m afraid you can’t take a seat just yet!”

“The hell are you talkin’ about, geezer?” Sanji interjected, sticking his hands in his pants pockets. 

Zeff nodded his head at the archway. “I believe there’s a little tradition that goes along with that plant there.”

Sanji followed his gaze and his stomach dropped. “Oh, hell no…”

Tacked in the middle of the archway and hanging down was a sprig of a plant with green leaves and white berries.

Ace looked up at it and cleared his throat, pink cropping up on his cheeks. “Well now, would ya look at that? There’s uh, _mistletoe_ above us!”

Sanji grit his teeth, embarrassment painting his face redder than it’s been all night. His face was so hot that he was surprised steam wasn’t billowing out of his ears. Glaring at his father, he barked, “You never bothered to put up decorations before and _this_ is the year you decided to do it?! And you choose some shitty _mistletoe?!”_

Zeff cocked his head to the side, crossing his arms over his chest. “You sayin’ that I can’t decorate my own house without your approval, you damn brat?!”

Sanji opened his mouth to reply when Ace held up a hand. “It’s okay, darlin’.”

Beneath his moustache, Zeff wore a smug grin. “Now why can’t you be as calm as your boyfriend here, brat?”

Sanji shot him another steely look before turning back to Ace. “We don’t have to go along with it if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t mind, darlin’,” Ace replied, glancing away from Sanji’s eyes, the pink on his cheeks spreading to his ears. A soft smile curled on his lips. “It won’t bother me.”

Sanji felt his heart flip at that. Questions danced around in his brain, scrambling for a reason why Ace was suddenly shy. Why was he agreeing to kiss him?! Sure, they were pretending to be a couple, but still! Ace seemed almost _happy_ at the idea of kissing him!

Before Sanji could stand there too long - as stiff and unmoving as a robot - Zeff piped up, “And why would the young man mind it? After all, you two are _dating,_ aren’t you?”

Sanji didn’t like the quirk of Zeff’s brow, nor the glint in his eyes. “Ugh, _fine!_ Let’s just...get it over with!”

Ace’s smile faltered. “Oh.”

Sanji felt as though he’d been punched in the gut. Guilt soured in his stomach and he quickly said, “Ace dear, I didn’t mean it like that!”

Ace nodded. “Right.”

“I didn’t!” Sanji insisted, sighing and running a hand down his face. “This old geezer is playing a game here and I _know_ it! He’s probably trying to see if we’re actually together or not!”

“Well, we _are,_ so a little kiss ain’t gonna hurt us, right?” Ace replied, a twinge of hurt still lingering in his eyes. 

Swallowing hard, Sanji let his eyes fall so he wouldn’t have to look him in the eye. “No, it wouldn’t.”

Ace’s palm burned as he cupped Sanji’s cheek in his hand. Sanji leaned into it, his eyes falling shut as Ace stooped down. Right before their lips could touch, Ace paused. Sanji met his gaze by accident, seeing the unspoken question in Ace’s eyes. Sanji nodded and Ace closed the space between them. Their lips connected for the briefest moment, then Ace broke away. Sanji didn’t even have time to kiss him back.

Sanji’s throat felt dry as he swallowed, his heart pounding in his chest. That was their first kiss and he didn’t even get to enjoy it! Setting his glare on Zeff, he grit his teeth.

“There! Happy now, shitty geezer?!” Sanji snapped as Ace retracted his hand. “Convinced we’re together yet?!”

Zeff laughed. “For now!”

Ace cleared his throat. “Would you like help getting the food out, sir?”

“Nah, not yet,” Zeff replied, making his way to the kitchen door. “I have to heat up the oven again since a certain brat of mine was late to dinner! So it’ll be a little bit before the food’s warmed up and ready!”

“Mind if we just sit tight, then?” Ace asked, already grabbing the back of one of the chairs.

Zeff waved a dismissive hand. “Knock yourself out, kid!”

Ace sat down in one of the seats, and Sanji sank into the one beside it. As soon as Zeff had disappeared through the kitchen door, the two of them turned to each other. They both tried to talk at once, which ended in awkward laughter.

“You go first, darlin’,” Ace insisted, gesturing for him to do so. 

Sanji nodded, fidgeting with his tie. “Okay. Um, a-about that kiss-?”

“Wasn’t great, was it?” Ace interrupted, rubbing the nape of his neck. “I know you probably didn’t want to kiss me, so I tried to keep it quick and painless.”

“That’s a clinical way to put it,” Sanji mumbled, his hands abandoning his tie in favor of reaching for the cigarette packet in his shirt pocket. 

“Sorry, darlin’,” Ace replied as Sanji pulled out his lighter and a cigarette. “I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable for any longer than I could help it.”

Once Sanji lit his cigarette and took a drag, he exhaled and felt brave enough to say, “I never said I-I didn’t want it.”

Ace perked up. “S-So, you wanted me to-?”

Sanji blushed and took another puff on his cigarette. “And if I did?!”

Ace broke into a grin. “Well, that’d be wonderful because-!”

The kitchen door burst open. Zeff stood in the doorway, staring down at his son. “Sanji! Go get your things out of the car right now!”

“What?! Why?!” Sanji protested. “Can’t it wait until after dinner?!”

“Nope!” Zeff said, jerking a thumb behind him. “The weather gal on the kitchen radio just said we’re in for a sudden snow storm! Supposed to get at least a foot in the span of a few hours, so you’re gonna get your shit _now_ before it gets bad here!”

Sanji grumbled under his breath and started to get up, when Ace laid a hand on his. “Let me get it, sweetpea. I’ll be quick about it.”

“Only if you’re sure?” Sanji said, taking his cigarette out of his mouth. “You fell pretty hard on the ice back at your place. If you’re sore-”

“I’m feelin’ better than I have in a long time!” Ace interrupted, grinning broadly. Getting to his feet, he bent down and Sanji tensed when their lips came together again. This kiss lasted a couple seconds longer before Ace pulled away. Straightening, he said, “I’ll be right back!”

Stunned, Sanji could only nod dumbly as Ace’s figure disappeared through the front door.

Zeff snorted. “The idiot didn’t even put his coat back on before headin’ out! He’s got it _bad.”_

“Y-You think?” Sanji blurted, realizing too late that he might give away his plan by accident. “Uh, I mean, you really think he feels that strongly for me? We’ve been together for such a short time...”

Zeff shrugged. “He seems to.” Sanji heard his father’s footsteps as he came closer. _Tap, step, tap_ until he came to a stop, his hand landing on Sanji’s shoulder. “You caught yourself a good one, eggplant.”

Sanji chewed on the end of his cigarette. The rare expression of affection from his father was meant to make him happy, but it had the opposite effect; guilt tightened into a knot in Sanji’s gut. 

“Um, thanks old geezer,” Sanji mumbled, reaching a hand up to pat the hand on his shoulder. Part of Sanji wanted to apologize then and there for lying to him about being in a relationship. But instead, Sanji got to his feet and let Zeff’s hand fall away. “I’m gonna go hold the door open for Ace. He’s probably gonna try to carry in everything at once.”

As Sanji had predicted, Ace attempted to carry in his backpack and Sanji’s overnight bag in one trip. With both hands full, he realized too late that he didn’t have a free hand to open the door. He was about to set his backpack down when the door opened and Sanji smiled weakly at him.

“Hey, Ace,” Sanji said, stepping back so Ace could step inside. “Thanks for getting the stuff and bringing it in.”

“No problem, darlin’!” Ace replied as Sanji shut the door. “Wanna show me where to set this stuff down?” Sanji hesitated, his back to Ace. He heard the bags thump onto the floor, then felt arms wrap around his waist. Ace’s voice was soft and concerned in his ear. “What’s wrong, sweetpea?”

Sanji lowered his voice to a whisper. “Feeling a bit guilty about the plan; about lying.”

“We can come out with it anytime you want to,” Ace said, resting his chin on Sanji’s shoulder. “You don’t have to keep this up if it’s hurtin’ you.”

Sanji’s shoulders sagged. “But my old geezer seems so proud of me for bringing you home. I don’t wanna disappoint him.”

“I understand, darlin’,” Ace said, angling his head to leave a kiss on Sanji’s cheek. His arms tightened their hold around Sanji’s waist before he added, “But y’know, it doesn’t _have_ to be a lie. Us being a couple - it doesn’t have to be pretend.”

Sanji could swear that his heart stopped for a moment. Turning around in Ace’s arms, his throat went dry as he met his gaze. Shaking hands lifted to rest on Ace’s shoulders. “Ace, what are you saying?”

A soft smile spread across Ace’s lips, and he opened his mouth to reply-

“Get a room, you two!” Zeff interrupted, causing Ace and Sanji to jump apart. He gestured to the bags on the floor. “And take those to the guest bedroom before dinner! Sanji, I trust you can show Ace to the guest room?” 

“‘Guest room’?” Sanji repeated, wrinkling his brow. “Is that what you turned my old room into?”

“I had to do _something_ with it!” Zeff replied, putting his hands on his hips. “Now can you show him to it or not?!”

“I can!” Sanji shot back, sticking his cigarette back in his mouth. “But if he’s sleeping in the guest bedroom, where am I gonna sleep?”

Zeff snorted. “I figured the two of you would be _sharing_ a room!”

Sanji nearly choked on his cigarette, and had to stick it between his fingers again. “‘Share’?!”

Ace shrugged. “I don’t have a problem with it, sweetpea.”

Zeff piped up, “If you two really _are_ together, then sharin’ a bed shouldn’t be a problem!”

The guilt inside him morphed into a mixture of annoyance and panic. Ace had clearly been about to ask Sanji an important question when that damn geezer interfered! And now he’s telling them that they’re going to be sharing a room?! They hadn’t even _kissed_ before today!

“Uh, well-” Sanji started, glancing at Ace.

Ace held his gaze for a second before turning back to Zeff with a sigh. “The truth is, sir, that-”

“We’ve never shared a bed before!” Sanji interrupted loudly. “B-But we are _definitely_ together! No doubt about it!” Ace widened his eyes, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. Before anyone could say anything, Sanji clamped a hand around Ace’s wrist. “Now that we have that established, can we eat our damn dinner yet?!”

Zeff laughed. “Right this way, you impatient little brat!” 


	4. Ch. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji, Ace, and Zeff all enjoy their Christmas dinner and later, Ace and Sanji finally talk about their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my dear friend Kite (kiite on ao3) for beta'ing!! You are so helpful!!

Sanji helped Zeff get dinner on the table. Ace tried but a third person in the kitchen proved to be one too many. After dropping a plate, breaking it, and apologizing twice, Ace slipped back into the dining room.

As Sanji brought out a plate of bread rolls, he chuckled softly at the sight of Ace in his seat, pouting as he rested his chin in his hand.

“He’s not mad at you for the plate, dear,” Sanji assured him, setting the bread rolls down in the center of the table. “So stop pouting.”

“I’m not pouting,” Ace mumbled, his index finger tracing circles on the table top.

“Yes, you are,” Sanji said, laying a hand on top of Ace’s. “I’ve seen that old geezer get mad before and he definitely was _not_ mad about the plate.”

The kitchen door opened and Zeff walked through it, carrying two giant plates of food in each hand. “Sanji’s right. I ain’t mad. That plate was a gift from Patty years ago.”

“Patty’s always terrible at buying gifts, isn’t he?” Sanji added, giving Ace’s hand a squeeze.

“Got that right.” Zeff snorted. “That plate was ugly as shit. Honestly kid, you were doing me a favor by breaking it!”

“If you say so,” Ace replied, perking up. “So, is dinner ready? I’m _so_ hungry!”

“Just a little bit longer, dear,” Sanji said, grabbing a bread roll and shoving it in Ace’s mouth. “Here, this’ll tide you over.”

Ace took a hold of the roll and chomped down half of it in one bite. With his mouth full, he joked, “No’ fo’ long!”

Sanji snickered. “How could I forget that you’re _Luffy’s_ brother?”

“So everyone in their family has a bottomless stomach, eh?” Zeff remarked, heading back to the kitchen. “Remind me not to invite all of them over at once!”

Soon enough, all the food was on the table (minus the handful of bread rolls that Ace managed to swipe). Once all three of them had sat down, they began grabbing their share of dinner. Ace tried not to be greedy, he really did. But once he got the go-ahead from Sanji, he piled his plate high with mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and whatever else he could get his hands on.

“Never have to worry about food going to waste around you, eh lad?” Zeff joked, cutting up the thick slice of ham on his plate. “Good to know! We don’t waste food in this house! At least my son found someone who shares the same sentiment.”

Ace’s cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk’s and he swallowed before speaking. “No sir, nothing will go to waste with me! Not even if I fall asleep in my meal!”

Ace laughed while Zeff raised an eyebrow. 

Sanji stuck his fork into his food and said, “Ace has narcolepsy, geezer. He falls asleep some-”

_Thunk!_

Ace face planted into his mashed potatoes.

“-times,” Sanji finished, sighing. He let go of his fork and lifted Ace’s head with one hand while the other slid the plate out from under his face. Setting a napkin down where the plate was, Sanji eased Ace’s head back down. He ruffled his hair before returning to his meal. “Before you ask, geezer, this happens a lot.”

“Y’know, eggplant-” Zeff said, his tone becoming kinder. “-it’s nice to see that you’re there to help him when this happens.”

“Thanks, old man,” Sanji mumbled before taking a bite of his food.

Dinner continued in relative silence, broken by idle chat every now and then. Ace didn’t wake up until Zeff and Sanji were almost done with their meals. He lifted his head up suddenly, eyes half-closed and bleary. Food stuck to his face and in his hair.

“So you decided to join the living?” Zeff joked, finishing up his dinner before getting to his feet. 

Sanji handed Ace a napkin. “Here, dear.”

Ace blinked, stared at the napkin, then slowly took it from Sanji’s hand. “Ah. Thanks, sweetpea. Sorry ‘bout that.”

“You’ve got nothing to apologize for, dear,” Sanji assured him, eating what was left of his meal, then getting out of his seat. He placed a hand on Ace’s shoulder, hesitating before taking a breath and bending down. Sanji dared to kiss Ace’s temple before straightening, his face warm. “I’m gonna wash the dishes while you finish up.”

A lovesick little smile broke out on Ace’s lips, and he nodded. “Okay, sweetpea.”

Sanji gave his shoulder a quick squeeze before heading to the kitchen. Zeff was already in there, washing his dish. 

“Let me wash the dishes, geezer,” Sanji said, placing his dirty dish on the counter. Rolling up his sleeves, he continued, “You’ve been standing all day getting dinner ready. At least let me do this part.”

“I ain’t _that_ tired, eggplant,” Zeff replied, laughing and casting a glance Sanji’s way. “Although, when your boyfriend gets done eating, I might need a hand _then!_ With how much he was piling on his plate, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ate enough for three people!”

Sanji chuckled. “I’ve seen him do it, too!”

A comfortable silence followed, and Sanji leaned against the counter with his hands in his pockets.

“Hey, old geezer?” Sanji asked, looking down at his shoes. He could feel Zeff’s gaze on him, burning into the side of his head. “Why were you so insistent that I bring someone home this year?”

“Is it so bad that a father wants to see his son be happy?” Zeff replied, scrubbing his dish clean, then rinsing it off. “You told me how your little group of friends is drifting apart. That’s natural; a part of life. But I don’t want you to do what I did.”

That caught Sanji’s attention, and he looked up at Zeff. “What you did?”

“When I was about your age, I had a group of close friends, too,” Zeff explained, grabbing the towel that had been flung over his shoulder. As he dried the dish, he continued, “We didn’t stay close. Some of ‘em got married, had kids, or moved away. Some died. Somehow or another, I found myself alone.”

“What did you do?”

“What you’re doin’ now,” Zeff said, an edge creeping into his voice. “I threw myself into cooking school, focused on my skills, and shunned the idea of making new connections! And it eats me up inside to see you following the same path!”

Sanji swallowed around the lump forming in his throat. “Geezer…”

Zeff turned to face him, looking him in the eye. “I may have eventually found comrades in my fellow cooks, but until you came into my life, I was truly alone.” He reached out, cupping Sanji’s cheek firmly. “I don’t want to see my son end up like I did.”

Sanji blinked back a sudden stinging in his eyes. “You shitty old man, don’t make me cry like a damn baby!”

They both laughed at that, and Zeff pulled Sanji in for a brief hug. When he pulled back, he gave Sanji a pat on the back. “Let’s see how your boyfriend is doing; make sure he hasn’t fallen asleep again!”

When the two of them walked back into the dining room, Ace was still awake. He was scraping his plate clean with his fork, pausing mid-bite when he caught sight of them. Swallowing, he got to his feet and picked up his plate. 

“That was a mighty good dinner, sir!” Ace said, a red flush cropping up on his cheeks. “I’m sorry that I fell asleep right in the middle of it! Didn’t miss anythin’ important, did I?”

Sanji crossed over to him. “Nope, you’re fine, dear.”

“Oh, good,” Ace replied as Sanji reached for the plate. He chuckled and lifted it higher, forcing Sanji onto his tiptoes. “No, I should clean it!”

Sanji let out an exasperated noise, then laughed. “You don’t have to wash dishes! You’re a guest!”

“I always wash ‘em at your place!” Ace pointed out, switching the plate to the hand furthest from Sanji. Sanji sighed and put his hands on his hips, making Ace laugh softly. “Now who’s pouting?”

“I am _not!”_ Sanji shot back, breaking into a grin. “Let me wash it for you, dammit!”

Zeff cleared his throat, and the two of them went silent. “I’ll be in the kitchen washing dishes while you two are flirting.”

Sanji turned red, heat rushing to his face as he clenched his fists. “We’re not flirting, shitty geezer!”

“Uh-huh,” Zeff replied dryly, smirking as he walked back into the kitchen.

Ace lowered the plate, holding it with one hand while the other palmed the nape of his neck. “I uh, didn’t mean to embarrass you, sweetpea.”

Sanji chewed on the end of his cigarette, then took it out of his mouth. “It’s alright, Ace dear. That old geezer loves to yank on my chain like that. I’m used to it.”

“I hear you,” Ace said. “My brothers love to tease me about stuff, too.” He turned, heading for the kitchen. “I’ll just wash this real quick, okay darlin’?”

Sanji sighed, plopping down in his chair. “Fine! You win this round!”

Ace winked at him before walking into the kitchen. He approached the sink, where Zeff had resumed washing dishes. After setting his plate on the counter, Ace rolled up his sleeves.

“Mind if I cut in, sir?” Ace said, standing straighter as Zeff raised an eyebrow at him. “I know I’m a guest, but you went through all the trouble of cooking dinner for us! The least I could do is wash the dishes for ya!”

“That’s awful considerate of you, lad,” Zeff replied, grabbing the towel over his shoulders and drying his hands. “Well, if you wanna lend a hand _that_ badly, be my guest!”

“Appreciate it, sir!” Ace said, moving in to take Zeff’s place as the older man stepped aside. When Zeff barked out a short laugh, Ace angled his head towards him. “Did I miss somethin’?”

“Just amused by you callin’ me, ‘sir’, that’s all!” Zeff laughed again, slapping Ace on the shoulder. “Wish all of my little brat’s friends were as polite as you!”

Ace chuckled, grabbing a sponge and starting to scrub a plate. “Thank you, sir! Miss Makino tried to teach my brothers and I a thing or two about manners, but I’m afraid it only stuck with me.”

“Who’s that?” Zeff asked, leaning against the counter. “I take it she ain’t your mother, given that you call her that.”

Ace laughed, shaking his head. “Oh no, Miss Makino ain’t my mama! She’s a friend of the family. Helped raise us when my brothers and I were runnin’ our foster mother ragged.”

Zeff grinned. “Sounds like you and your brothers were a rowdy bunch of brats, eh?”

“Yes, sir!” Ace laughed, setting a clean dish on the drying rack. “It was never boring with us around!”

Zeff crossed his arms with a sigh. “I think my little brat would’ve loved being friends with you and your brothers when he was young. He didn’t have many friends, and never really got to be a kid.”

Ace paused, his smile falling. “Oh? I hadn’t heard that.”

“It ain’t my business to blab about his childhood, so I won’t go into details,” Zeff said, waving a dismissive hand. “But I will say that I’m glad he’s made friends now. And that he has you. My boy’s never really had a proper relationship before, and I’m happy he found a polite young lad like you.”

Ace tried to smile, but it was weighed down by the guilt knotting in his stomach. “Oh. Uh, thank you, sir.”

Zeff nodded, then clapped Ace on the back. “Well, I’m gonna head to the living room and listen to the radio. I take it that you’ve got this covered?”

“Uh, yes, sir!” Ace replied quickly, waiting until the _tap, step, tap_ of Zeff’s footsteps disappeared through the door. Once he was gone, Ace’s shoulders slumped and he sighed. “Oh man, now I get how Sanji was feelin’ earlier!”

By the time Ace was almost finished with the dishes, the kitchen door opened again. Looking up, Ace saw Sanji walk in and flashed him a smile. “Hey, darlin’.”

“Hey, dear,” Sanji said, crossing over to him. He hesitated only a moment before leaning against him, shoulder-to-shoulder. “How are the dishes coming along?”

“Nearly done! Wanna help me dry ‘em?”

“Why not?” Sanji straightened, then moved to Ace’s other side. Grabbing a clean towel from a nearby drawer, he started drying one of the larger dishes first. “So, I’m guessing my old man had a talk with you? He didn’t try to scare you, did he?”

“Nah, nothin’ like that,” Ace said. “Why do you ask?”

“Because the first boy I brought home, he threatened to turn him into soup stock for being rude to me,” Sanji answered, rolling his eyes. “We were freshmen in high school at the time, but my old geezer didn’t care. He scared the shit out of the guy and he never went on a date with me again.”

“Your pops sounds really protective of you,” Ace remarked, chuckling. “Reminds me of when my mama threatened to skin one of my exes for breaking up with me. She likes to talk big, but she’s kinda cowardly at heart. Still though, it meant a lot that she cared so much.”

“I get you.” Sanji leaned against Ace’s side again, pausing to rest his head on Ace’s shoulder. “I think my old man really likes you.” With a laugh, Sanji added, “Maybe even more than he likes _me!”_

Ace inclined his head, burying his nose in Sanji’s hair. “I doubt that, sweetpea.” 

Eventually, the two of them got the dishes done. Sanji dared to link their hands together before they re-entered the dining room. He guided Ace to the living room, where Zeff was sitting in an armchair smoking a pipe. The radio was on, classical music crackling over the speaker. 

“Finished with those dishes, eh?” Zeff remarked, exhaling twin plumes of smoke through his nose. “Good. Y’know, if you’re gonna be this helpful _every_ time you visit, Sanji should bring you over more often!”

“Shut it, geezer,” Sanji replied, grinning as he led Ace to the couch. “You aren’t gonna get free labor outta my boyfriend, got it?”

Zeff grumbled as Ace and Sanji sat down on the couch. “Oh, before you two get comfortable, your gifts are in the guest bedroom. Open ‘em whenever the hell ya feel like it!”

“That’s mighty generous of you, sir, considering you haven’t known me long,” Ace said, palming the nape of his neck. “And I don’t even have a proper gift to give you in return!”

Sanji rested a reassuring hand on Ace’s knee. “I got us some things to give him from both of us. They’re in our overnight bags.”

“Thanks, darlin’.” Ace automatically scooted closer to Sanji’s side, who tensed up when Ace threw an over over his shoulders. 

Zeff scoffed and took the pipe out of his mouth, gesturing at them with it. “It ain’t like I’ve never seen a couple cuddlin’! Just don’t get _too_ comfortable, and I don’t give a shit!”

“Ugh, you shitty old man,” Sanji muttered, flopping against Ace’s side with a frown and a blush that clashed with his blond hair.

The rest of the evening passed by uneventfully. At some point, Zeff switched the radio off and started up a conversation with Ace. Sanji got dragged into it a few times, but mostly, he stayed pressed up at Ace’s side. As time ticked by, he got more and more comfortable being affectionate with Ace in front of his father. Before long, his arm was snaking around Ace’s waist and his head was leaning against his shoulder.

When Zeff and Ace’s conversation finally wound down, they turned on the television to fill the silence. Sanji perked up when he spotted a familiar redhead on the weather channel. 

“Hey, that’s Nami!” he exclaimed, smiling broadly. “Oh, she looks so lovely tonight!”

On the screen, Nami was pointing out a cold front that was moving in. “As you can see, the temperature is rapidly dropping! And watch out for that snow! Already, some parts of the area have gotten up to six inches!”

“Guess it’s a good thing you insisted we stay the night, eh geezer?” Sanji said, glancing over at his father.

Zeff took a drag on his pipe and exhaled the smoke towards the television. “Even if I hadn’t, this weather ain’t giving you a choice!”

“This ain’t the first time I’ve been snowed in,” Ace piped up, the arm around Sanji’s shoulders squeezing tighter as he glanced down at the blond. “But I’m sure glad this time I’m with you two and not my brothers!” Laughing, he added, “Luffy thought we were gonna go hungry because he ate nearly everything in the pantry!”

“What an idiot,” Sanji snickered, snuggling closer to Ace. He smiled as he heard the other man’s heart beat speed up, and warmth blossomed in his chest. Ace grabbed a blanket that had been thrown over the back of the couch and unfolded it over their laps. Giggling softly, Sanji murmured, “Thank you, dear.”

Sanji felt Ace’s lips press a kiss to his head. “You’re welcome, darlin’.”

Hours passed, and when the clock struck midnight, Sanji’s eyelids started to droop. His limbs felt heavy, weighed down by fatigue and exhaustion from the day’s events. His neck was already starting to cramp from the position he was in, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. The couch was too cozy, the blanket too warm, and the sound of Ace’s steady breathing too comforting.

Ace had long since fallen asleep, passing out about an hour prior. His snores had started out soft, but had become louder and louder the longer he slept. Sanji had either gotten used to it fast, or was so tired that the noise didn’t bother him. He couldn’t decide at the moment, too busy trying to keep his head from bobbing as sleep tried to take him.

At last, it was Zeff’s voice that brought him back to the present. “I think it’s time the two of you went to bed.”

“Mm, I guess so, geezer,” Sanji mumbled, yawning and sitting up. 

An ache flared in his neck; revenge for having his head on Ace’s shoulder for so long. He stretched his back, lifting his arms above his head and feeling a couple vertebrae in his spine pop. When he relaxed, he forced himself to stand and pulled the blanket off of Ace. He started to fold it back up, but a dismissive wave from Zeff made him stop and toss it back onto the couch.

Sanji turned his attention back to Ace. Grabbing his shoulder, he shook it lightly.

“Ace, dear. Wake up for a minute,” Sanji said, stifling another yawn with his free hand. Ace mumbled something in his sleep and didn’t move. Giving his shoulder a harder shake, Sanji repeated, “Ace! Wake up!”

After several more attempts, Sanji managed to rouse Ace from his slumber. As Ace stood on wobbly legs, Sanji threw his arm around his upper back, tucking his hand under Ace’s arm to support him. 

Sanji turned to go when Zeff cleared his throat. “By the way, I’m gonna remind you that the walls of this house aren’t as thin as you think! So I don’t wanna hear anything from the guest bedroom while the two of you are alone in th-”

“Goodnight, shitty geezer!” Sanji exclaimed, suddenly more awake than he had been before. 

Turning on his heel, he marched towards the stairs, grumbling obscenities under his breath. Sanji half-dragged, half-walked Ace up the steps. When they reached his old bedroom, Sanji slammed the door shut with his foot.

Scoffing, Zeff grinned. “Still so easy to rile him up! What am I gonna do with that boy?”

Meanwhile, in the guest bedroom, Sanji was hefting Ace onto the bed. “God, you’re heavy as shit!”

Ace was back asleep before he even hit the mattress. A snore broke the silence of the room, and Sanji shook his head. Ace was still in his stuffy, fancy clothes for the dinner and yet, he was out cold. 

Sanji chuckled under his breath. “How the hell are you comfortable enough in this to fall asleep?” 

He knelt down, deft fingers untying his shoes and dropping them on the floor. Standing, he made his way to the side of the bed and perched on the edge.

“What am I gonna do with you?” Sanji said softly, reaching up to brush a lock of hair from Ace’s forehead. “I’m glad it was you that agreed to this shitty plan. I’ve really enjoyed our time together, dear.”

Continuing where he left off, Sanji moved his hands to Ace’s tie, loosening it in one smooth movement. He tossed it towards the foot of the bed, where it landed around the bedpost. His fingers found the top buttons of Ace’s shirt, then paused. 

Reality hit him, leaving him red-faced and warm.

He was undoing Ace’s shirt. Without asking him first. As if he had done this before. 

As if they were a couple. 

“We...really need to talk in the morning,” Sanji said, clearing his throat. 

He unbuttoned the first couple of buttons so Ace would be more comfortable. The sight of Ace’s collar bones peeking through distracted him for a few seconds before he caught himself staring. Moving on, he averted his eyes and cursed his rapid heart beat. While he was slipping Ace’s belt off, he wordlessly prayed to every god he could think of that Ace wouldn’t choose _now_ to wake up. Thankfully, Ace stayed sound asleep as his belt hit the floor. 

And with that, Sanji was able to breathe again.

“Okay, that’s over,” he whispered in relief, untying his own tie. 

He hung it on the bedpost opposite the one that Ace’s tie was on, then tugged off his shoes. He placed his belt on the cushion of a nearby chair and sat down on the bed. As his fingers found the buttons of his shirt, he felt the mattress shift. Without warning, an arm wound around his waist from behind. 

Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed that Ace had rolled onto his front in order to throw an arm around him. Keeping his voice low, Sanji said, “Ace? Are you awake?”

“A lil,” Ace mumbled, his face squished up against the mattress. His eyelids were barely open, still weighed down by exhaustion. “Mm, hey darlin’.”

Sanji giggled, undoing a couple buttons before reaching down to ruffle Ace’s hair. “Hey, dear.”

“G’night, swee’pea,” Ace mumbled, giving in to the heaviness in his eyelids and falling back asleep. His snores were muffled against the mattress and his grip around Sanji’s waist went slack.

“Goodnight, my dear,” Sanji replied, a sweet smile on his lips as he pulled back the covers. 

Once he yanked them over Ace, he curled up on his side, pulling the covers up to his chin. Sleep was slow to come until Ace’s hand - its owner still snoring away - wandered up to rest on Sanji’s hip. Only then did Sanji feel himself drift off, warmth buzzing in his chest and his cheeks aching from too much smiling.

* * *

Morning came, the first rays of dawn creeping over the neighborhood. It peeked in through the blinds in the guest bedroom, giving the room a soft glow. As Sanji’s eyelids fluttered open, he forgot for a moment where he was.

Until he felt the weight flung over his waist.

Memories of last night hit him, making his eyes open wider. He and Ace arriving at Zeff’s house. Presenting Ace as his boyfriend. Kissing him under the mistletoe. Kissing him again throughout the evening. Finally, going to bed with a foot between them-

-and waking up with Ace’s front pressed flush to his back.

Sanji shifted, careful not to move too much and wake Ace. He rested his forearm on top of the one around his waist. His fingertips traced the cords of muscle and tendon on the back of Ace’s hand. Ace stirred and Sanji tensed, his heart rate jacking higher when he felt warm lips on the back of his neck. Ace left a few lazy kisses on Sanji’s neck before pausing.

“G’mornin’, sweetpea,” Ace mumbled, his breath tickling the nape of Sanji’s neck and eliciting goosebumps on his scalp. “You sleep good?”

Sanji chewed on his lower lip, a fluttering feeling in his chest at the affection. “Mhm. You?” 

A pleased hum rumbled in the back of Ace’s throat and he curled his arm tighter around Sanji’s waist.

Sanji chuckled. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.”

“Last night was a lot of fun,” Ace said, tucking his chin into the crook between Sanji’s neck and shoulder. “Thanks for invitin’ me to be part of your dinner. It was nice to have an actual sit-down dinner for once, instead of the pizza my brothers and I do every year!”

While Ace laughed, Sanji recalled the moment last night when Ace had brought in their bags. Sanji had been feeling guilty about lying, and Ace had comforted him. And even seemed to suggest that the two of them should date for real.

The idea alone was enough to make Sanji feel giddy inside, but he wouldn’t let himself dwell on it; convince himself it was a real possibility. 

Not until he heard it from Ace’s own lips.

Sanji rolled onto his other side so he could look at Ace. “Um, Ace dear? What was it that you were trying to say last night? After you brought in our bags?”

Ace’s brows furrowed, and he scratched his chin. “After I brought in the bags?”

“You were saying something about us,” Sanji prompted, swallowing hard. His pulse beat an erratic rhythm in his ears no matter how level he tried to keep his breathing. “About how our relationship didn’t...didn’t have to be pretend.”

Ace’s eyes snapped open and he flushed. “I uh, I _did_ say that, didn’t I?”

“Um, yeah, you did,” Sanji mumbled, letting his eyes fall to Ace’s collar bone. A heavy feeling in his chest sank like a stone, dropping down to his gut. “Did you...not mean it?”

In an instant, Ace’s arms were wrapping tighter around him, enough to crush the air from his lungs. “Oh, darlin’, I’d never lie about that!”

Sanji sighed, relief washing over him. All of a sudden, he felt shy and a bit silly for jumping to the conclusion that Ace would deceive him like that. An excited, lopsided grin broke out on Sanji’s lips. “So, y-you want to date me for real?”

Sanji felt Ace’s lips press a kiss to his forehead. “If you’d have me, then yes.”

Looking up at Ace, Sanji’s smile grew wide enough to dimple his cheeks. Ace returned the grin, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He started to lean forward and Sanji met his eyes before beating him to it. Surging forward, he brought their lips together in a clumsy kiss. Their teeth knocked together before they slowed down enough to angle their heads just right. 

The kiss was unhurried; languid as they figured out how to move together. Uncertain hands roamed over each other before lingering in one spot. Restless legs tangled together beneath the bed covers. 

When they broke apart, they were both breathless and blushing.

“I’ve wanted that for so long!” Ace blurted, the flush covering his freckles spreading to his ears. “Since the day I met you, to be honest. You were so pretty and handsome and well-dressed-”

Sanji closed the space between them, leaving a quick kiss on Ace’s lips to shut him up. “Ace dear, you’re rambling.”

“How can I not?” Ace chuckled, his hands sliding down to Sanji’s lower back and pulling him closer. “I’m so happy right now!”

“I thought you weren’t interested in me like that,” Sanji admitted, carding a hand through Ace’s tangled hair. They laughed when his fingers got caught in a knot, and he eased them free. Lowering his hand to cup Ace’s cheek, Sanji said with a grin, “I’ve never been so happy to be wrong!”

“Well, I never thought you’d see me that way in a million years!” Ace replied, bringing a hand up to graze his knuckles against Sanji’s cheek. “I mean, you - a sophisticated, talented guy - wanting a meathead like _me?_ ” He laughed, shaking his head. “Nah, it couldn’t happen!”

“Looks like we were both wrong, then?” Sanji pulled Ace closer for a short kiss. When he broke away, he started to say something but was interrupted by a growl. Glancing down, he snickered as Ace’s stomach growled again. “Sounds like you’re ready for breakfast?”

“I’m _always_ ready to eat your cookin’!” Ace said, patting his stomach.

“Then let’s get dressed and-” Sanji began, his grin falling. “Oh, shit. I just remembered-”

“Our bags are downstairs, ain’t they?” Ace guessed, the two of them laughing at the realization.

Sanji patted Ace’s leg before sitting up. “Well, go get ‘em, then!”

Ace got out of bed and grumbled about the cold before reaching the door. When he opened it and poked his head into the hallway, he made a noise of surprise. “Oh, hey! They’re right here! Your pops must’ve brought them up for us?”

“Well, that was nice of-” Sanji got cut off by Ace’s sudden laughter. “What?”

“He took his presents out already!” Ace laughed, clutching his stomach. “The ones you got for him that were from both of us!”

Sanji snorted. “Sounds like him! He always was an impatient old geezer!”

“Speakin’ of him-” Ace hefted the bags over his shoulder and shut the door. “-he mentioned last night that our gifts were in here already, right?”

“Yeah, he did.” Sanji got to his feet and looked around while Ace set their bags down on the bed. Sanji found the gifts tucked away on a nearby bookshelf and brought them down one-by-one. “Why didn’t he just leave ‘em on the desk or something?”

Ace peered over Sanji’s shoulder as the blond placed the gifts on the desk. “Which one is mine?”

One of the gifts was a card and the other was a medium-sized box wrapped in paper. On the card was scrawled in almost illegible handwriting, “Shitty Eggplant’s Boyfriend”. 

Sighing, Sanji handed the card to Ace. “I believe this one is yours.”

Ace took it and snorted at the words. “I guess he didn’t know my name yet when he got this?”

“Or he just didn’t care,” Sanji replied with a shrug. “After last night though, he definitely cares about you. So don’t take it personally.”

“Don’t worry, sweetpea!” Ace laughed, the paper envelope ripping as he opened it. “My mama used to call me a ‘shitty brat’ all the time but I know she still loved me!”

Sanji sat down at the desk chair and tore off the wrapping paper. Beneath it was a brown box, sealed with duct tape. It took him a moment to locate a pair of scissors, and soon, the box was open. He pulled the flaps back and his breath hitched.

Oblivious to Sanji’s reaction, Ace beamed. “Hey, a coupon to Baratie! Nice! Luffy’ll love that-!”

Sanji took a deep breath and reached into the box, unable to tear his eyes away from its contents. 

Ace noticed his behavior at last, and the mirth in his voice vanished. “Darlin’? You okay? What did he get you?”

“H-He got it for me a long, long time ago,” Sanji explained, swallowing as a lump formed in his throat. Lifting the item in the box, he revealed a beat up old cooking pot. “I was a little brat back then, and it meant so much to me…”

Ace tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. “A dusty old pot?”

Sanji nodded, grateful that he was sitting down; he couldn’t feel his legs at the moment. “My first cooking pot. The old geezer wouldn’t even let me take it when I moved out!”

Understanding dawned on Ace’s face, and he came up behind Sanji, hands resting on the blond’s shoulders. “Oh, sweetpea…”

A heavy, stinging feeling behind Sanji’s eyes made him blink back sudden tears. Guilt punched him in the gut, forcing the air from his lungs and making him feel like he was going to be sick. Hanging his head, he laid the pot on the desk and buried his face in his hands. 

Ace leaned down, his arms circling around Sanji’s upper body as he rested his chin on Sanji’s shoulder. “Oh, honey...it’s okay.”

Sanji’s voice was muffled by his palms. “No, it’s not!”

“Tell me why, then,” Ace said, rubbing his hands on Sanji’s upper arms. “Tell me and we can see how we can make this right.”

Sanji took a breath and raked his hands through his hair, pushing back his bangs. “The old geezer wouldn’t give me this pot when I moved out two years ago. He was too sentimental about it and I guess he didn’t trust me? I don’t know but him giving it to me now means something important!”

Ace dragged his fingers through Sanji’s hair soothingly. “Whatcha think it means?”

Sanji shrugged. “I guess that he finally trusts me on my own? That he’s finally letting go of me?”

“Makes sense to me,” Ace replied. “If he’s so sentimental about it that he wouldn’t let it go when you first left, it makes sense that he’d feel ready to give it away after a while. After he’s seen the man you’ve become.”

Sanji swallowed hard, his voice cracking slightly. “He thinks I’ve been honest with him this whole time!”

Leaning down, Ace pressed a kiss to Sanji’s temple. “Then let’s be honest with him from now on, okay? Tell him the truth. I’ll be right by your side, sweetpea.”

Sanji reached up, putting his hand on top of one of Ace’s as it squeezed his shoulder. Taking a deep breath, Sanji got to his feet and turned towards Ace. “Thanks, dear.”

Ace pulled him into a hug, one hand rubbing circles into Sanji’s back. “Of course, darlin’.”

They stayed like that for a few minutes, holding one another as Sanji tried to muster the courage to tell his father the truth. Zeff would be disappointed at the deceit, but hopefully, he’d also be proud of Sanji for coming clean.

The smell of something cooking hit Sanji’s nose. Before he could react, Ace was letting go of him and dashing for the door. He paused at the door frame and took a deep breath.

“Yep, smells like breakfast!” Ace exclaimed, causing Sanji to laugh. “Think your pops is makin’ any for us?”

“One way to find out,” Sanji replied, his smile faltering when Ace offered his hand. 

“I’m right here beside you, darlin’.”

Sanji nodded, slipping his hand into Ace’s and lacing their fingers together. They descended the stairs hand-in-hand, staying connected even as they entered the kitchen. Zeff was indeed cooking for all of them, if the giant platter of pancakes was anything to go by.

“Smells delicious!” Ace remarked, patting his stomach. “Hope ya made plenty of ‘em! I’m _so_ hungry right now!”

Zeff spared him a glance, then turned his attention back to the stove, where he was frying eggs. “I certainly ain’t gonna eat all this! Help yourself, both of you.”

“Don’t mind if I do!” Ace grabbed an empty plate and a spatula, then began piling pancakes on his plate. “Thank you, sir!”

Sanji hesitated and leaned against the counter instead of grabbing food. “Hey, uh old man-”

“What are you waitin’ for, eggplant?” Zeff interrupted, gesturing to the pancake platter. “Get your fill before your boyfriend takes it all!”

“I-It’s alright, I’m not very hungry right now,” Sanji muttered, and _that_ made Zeff pause. 

Zeff finished frying the eggs in silence, then flipped the burner off and moved the pan to a cool burner at the back. Turning to face Sanji, he put his hands on his hips. “Not hungry, eh?”

Sanji shook his head. “No.”

Zeff scanned Sanji from head-to-toe with a keen eye. “Have you been eatin’ enough, lately? You look thin. Is something bothering you and that’s why you ain’t got an appetite?”

“I’ve been eating fine, geezer!” Sanji huffed, standing taller before adding, “But yeah, there is something that’s bothering me.”

Zeff waved a hand. “Well then, out with it!”

Sanji opened his mouth but a squeaking sound interrupted him. He and Zeff glared at the source - a syrup bottle being squished in Ace’s hands.

Ace chuckled nervously, syrup dripping onto his pancakes. He righted the bottle and clicked it shut, then set it back on the counter. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

Sighing, Sanji faced his father again. “Anyway, there’s something I-I need to tell you.”

Ace stepped up beside Sanji and wound his arm around his waist. “Something we _both_ gotta tell you, sir.”

Zeff raised his eyebrows, looking from Ace to Sanji and back. “What? You ain’t gettin’ married, are you?”

Ace burst into laughter and Sanji turned bright red.

“No, we aren’t getting married!” Sanji exclaimed, waving his hands frantically. “Dammit, geezer! I’m trying to tell you that Ace and I lied about being a couple when we got here!”

Ace’s laughter came to an abrupt halt. Sanji sucked in a sharp breath, realizing he had blurted the entire thing out. Zeff was quiet for a moment, setting his spatula down on the counter. 

“A-Are you mad?” Sanji piped up, restless hands moving to fidget with his tie, then realizing he left it back in the guest bedroom. He stuck his hands in his pockets instead, guilt and anxiety churning in his gut. “I know I shouldn’t have lied to you, but you were so insistent that I bring someone home!”

“And then, sir, when you seemed so proud of him-” Ace interjected, moving his hand up to give Sanji’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “-he started feelin’ guilty! So that’s why we decided to come out with the truth!”

Zeff sighed through his nose. Every movement he made was amplified by the silence that choked them as heavy as smog in the city. He opened a cabinet, pulling out a clean frying pan. It clanked onto the burner, the sound echoing. The fire that ignited beneath it was loud and crackling. The oil that Zeff poured in sizzled, the popping noises more akin to a bonfire than a stovetop.

At last, Zeff spoke. “So, you lied to me about being in a relationship, eh brat?”

Sanji frowned, but kept his head held up. “Yes.”

Zeff slapped a slice of bacon onto the pan. With a scoff, he replied, “Eh, I already knew about that.”

Sanji’s eyes snapped open wide, his expression going slack like he’d been slapped in the face. “...What?”

Ace snickered, biting down on his lip to stifle his laughter. He quickly gave in and laughed aloud. “He knew all along! We were worried for nothin’!”

“W-Why - but-” Sanji stammered, his anger hitting him all at once. “Why you shitty fucking geezer! I was feeling guilty for lying and you knew the whole damn time?!”

“Yes, I did!” Zeff shot back, putting a hand on his hip and sending Sanji a glare. “That’s what you get for thinking you can pull the wool over _my_ eyes, shitty eggplant!”

Sanji ground his teeth, his hands clenched into fists inside his pockets. 

“If you don’t mind me askin’, sir-” Ace said. “-how did you know we were fakin’ it?”

“My boy got someone to bring home awful fast,” Zeff explained, snorting. “Plus, that kiss under the mistletoe was the most awkward damn thing I ever saw!”

Ace flushed and rubbed the nape of his neck. “Ah, I see. Well, i-it _was_ our first kiss, so y’know, it ain’t gonna be perfect!”

Zeff added more slices of uncooked bacon to the pan, shifting around the first slice with a spatula. “And now? Are you two together?”

Ace lowered his hand to Sanji’s waist, tugging him closer. “Yes sir, we are.”

“We both realized we wanted to be together,” Sanji added, glaring at his father. “Though I can’t believe you didn’t tell us from the start that _you knew!”_

Zeff shrugged. “It was funny to see you two fumble about to keep up your cover.”

Ace chuckled, covering his mouth with his hands and looking away. 

Meanwhile, Sanji rolled his eyes. “Whatever! We’re together now, okay?! Got a problem with it, shitty geezer?!”

“If I did, I would’ve kicked _his_ ass out the door!” Zeff snapped, gesturing to Ace. He then gestured to Sanji, adding, “And then I would’ve kicked your ass for bringin’ home a crappy partner!”

While Sanji and Zeff bantered back and forth, Ace snuck back to his plate of pancakes. By the time they were done sniping at one another, Ace’s plate was piled high with pancakes, eggs, and bacon. As a final touch, he doused it all in syrup.

He gave Sanji a quick kiss on the cheek before seating himself at the dining table. After a little bit, Sanji joined him, carrying his own plate of food. Zeff was the last to enter, limping towards the table with his share. 

“Thanks again for making us breakfast!” Ace said, stuffing half a pancake in his mouth in one go.

“It’s no problem, lad,” Zeff replied, cutting up his food with a knife and fork. “I’d be happy to have ya over for dinner again sometime.” He laughed. “Just give me long enough to restock my kitchen!”

All three of them laughed, and just like that, the tension from the reveal in the kitchen melted away. Instead of the idle chatter that had occurred at dinner the previous night, conversation was lively. Ace did the most talking, jumping from one subject to the next. Somehow, he managed to link each one back to his brother, Luffy. 

Sanji didn’t mind. His heart felt light seeing his boyfriend and his father getting along so well. He couldn’t hold onto the anger he felt in the kitchen, even if he had wanted to. 

Towards the end of breakfast, Ace looked over at Sanji, then glanced up at the mistletoe in the archway. Taking the blond’s hand, Ace smiled. “What do you say we give that ol’ mistletoe another shot?”

Sanji bit his lip, sliding his gaze over to Zeff. “Um-”

With an exasperated sigh, Zeff stood and picked up his plate. “I was done eatin’ anyway. I’ll take this to the kitchen and give you two lovebirds some privacy, alright?”

“Uh, thanks geezer,” Sanji said, clearing his throat. Cuddling with Ace in front of Zeff was one thing, but kissing would take some more getting used to. 

Zeff made a non-committal noise and walked into the kitchen. 

As soon as the door shut, Ace was on his feet. He tugged Sanji out of his chair and underneath the mistletoe. He took a second to pull him into his arms before asking, “This alright?”

“C’mere,” Sanji replied, closing his eyes as their lips met. 

This kiss was definitely better than their first had been; it was soft and slow instead of stiff and awkward. Sanji let his lips part, and Ace deepened the kiss. Lost in the lightheaded feeling, Sanji’s hands found their way to Ace’s shoulders, fingers curling around the fabric of his shirt. Ace’s hands glided up from Sanji’s lower back, settling on his shoulder blades and pulling him closer. 

Zeff’s voice rang out from the kitchen, “You two done yet?!”


	5. Ch. 5 - Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One year later, Ace and Sanji are spending another Christmas together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so, so much to Kite (kiite on ao3) for beta'ing all of this!! You are a sweetheart!! And thank you to everyone who stuck with this fic and to anyone who's reading it for the first time!! :>
> 
> Hope everyone had a merry Christmas and happy holidays!!

A year passed in the blink of an eye. 

Seasons changed, from icy winter to warm spring. Summer came and went, transforming into an autumnal kaleidoscope of colors. And then fall gave way to winter’s frigid chill once again. Snow blanketed the world, covering the once-green grass and decorating the bare limbs of trees. 

Inside the modest house that Ace and Sanji shared, signs of Christmas were all over the place. Twinkling lights covered doorways. Carefully-wrapped packages sat beneath their holiday tree, with strings of soft, white light illuminating the branches. Even stockings were hung by the fireplace, filled with presents that had definitely been peeked at.

Currently, Sanji was lounging in front of the aforementioned fireplace. He was warming his hands in front of the flames, chasing the chill from them after an afternoon in the snow. Footsteps echoed behind him, coming from the kitchen. They paused at the archway that connected the kitchen to the living room.

Sanji twisted around to see his boyfriend standing there, holding two steaming mugs.

“Hot chocolate?” Sanji guessed, and Ace nodded. “That’s sweet of you, dear.” Ace continued to stay where he was, prompting Sanji to laugh. “Well, aren’t you going to bring them over here?”

Ace shook his head. “Not until I get payment.”

“‘Payment?’” Sanji arched a brow as Ace looked up above him. Sanji followed his gaze, and the sight of mistletoe made him laugh. Getting to his feet, he crossed to his boyfriend and asked, “When did you put that up there?”

“When you weren’t lookin’!” Ace replied with a wink. His hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail with a red scrunchie to match his ugly red Christmas sweater. Sanji wore a matching sweater, though his was green instead. “Surprised?”

“Very," Sanji chuckled and took a mug from one of Ace’s hands. Taking a sip, he smiled as hot chocolate warmed his belly. “Mm, delicious!”

Ace cleared his throat, his now-free hand pointing at his cheek. “Forget something, sweetpea?”

“Ah, right,” Sanji giggled. “How could I forget?” He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to Ace’s cheek. “Happy now?”

“Almost,” Ace said, dipping his head and stealing a kiss from Sanji’s lips. When he broke away and straightened up, a lopsided smile was spreading across his lips. “There, now I am!”

“You’re such a dork,” Sanji teased, carrying his hot chocolate back to his spot by the fireplace. Ace followed him and a moment after Sanji sat down, he felt a blanket being draped over his shoulders. “Oh, thank you, dear.”

“No problem, darlin’,” Ace replied, sitting down beside him and scooting as close as he could to Sanji’s side. As he cuddled up to his boyfriend, Sanji shifted the blanket to cover Ace’s shoulders, too. “There now, ain’t this nice?”

Sanji rested his head on Ace’s shoulder. “It’s perfect.”

The two of them stayed that way for a while, basking in the warmth of the crackling fireplace and sipping their hot chocolate. Idle, aimless conversation filled the air, punctuated by laughter here and there. As the clock ticked onward, their conversation steered towards their own lives.

“Y’know, this place sure looks great,” Ace remarked, casting his eyes around the room. “You, Miss Nami, and Miss Robin sure did a wonderful job!”

“Well, they insisted on helping since it’s our first Christmas here,” Sanji replied, grinning as he followed his boyfriend’s gaze. His eyes lingered on the Christmas cards on the mantle of the fireplace, all lined neatly in a row. Each was from one of their friends, and a couple were made by hand. Nami and Robin had surprised him with them. “They’re such lovely ladies, aren’t they?”

“They sure are,” Ace agreed, turning his attention to the cat tree in front of the window. Smirking, he said, “I see Kotatsu likes his gift!”

Sanji chuckled, looking over at the Maine Coon lounging on the top level of his cat tree. “Too bad the little shit shredded the ribbon on it.”

“I told you that he’d do that,” Ace said, laughing softly as Kotatsu made an innocent meow in response. “Yes, we’re talkin’ about _you!”_

Kotatsu flicked his tail dismissively and returned to staring out of the window.

“Y’know, if you’d have told me a year ago that this is where we’d be-” Ace said, looking back to his boyfriend, his smirk softening. “-dating, moving in together in the summer, and then getting ready to go to your pops’ Christmas dinner for the second time-”

“You’d think I was crazy?” Sanji guessed, giggling as Ace leaned forward to press their foreheads together. 

“I’d certainly count myself lucky!” Ace said, closing the short distance between them to steal another kiss. When he broke away, an affectionate look entered his eyes, lids lowered halfway. “I do now, actually. I never thought I’d have all of this!”

“Neither did I,” Sanji admitted, breaking into a laugh. “I can’t believe we both thought at one point that our feelings _weren’t_ mutual!”

“I know, right?” Ace laughed, his nose scrunching with how hard he was grinning. “Ain’t it funny how life turns out?”

“Mhm, it really is.” Sanji kissed the corner of Ace’s mouth before pulling back to take another sip of hot chocolate. It was almost gone, which suited him fine. They had to leave soon, anyway. “Let’s try not to be late for dinner with my old geezer _again,_ shall we?”

“Better not turn on the TV, then,” Ace replied, chugging the rest of his hot chocolate in one go. He set his empty mug down, eyelids drooping. A sudden yawn made sleepy tears pool in his eyes, and he scrubbed a hand over them. “Oh no, now I’m tired.”

Sanji set down his mug and placed a hand on Ace’s back. “Another episode? Because if you get hit by your narcolepsy again, I’d rather it be _before_ we go to my old man’s.” He flashed him a smile. “Wouldn’t want you face-planting into your mashed potatoes again!”

Ace laughed and stuck his tongue out at him. “Nah, I’m just sleepy from the hot chocolate. Think we have time for a nap before the two hour drive?”

“Hm, probably,” Sanji replied, giggling as Ace immediately wrapped his arms around his waist and tugged him onto his lap. “Y’know, if you’re too tired to drive, I can do it.”

“If you want to, I won’t stop ya,” Ace said, scooting the empty mugs a little further away to make more room. He laid down on his back, tugging Sanji with him. Sanji spread out on top of him, getting comfortable as Ace readjusted the blanket to cover them both. “There we go! Nap time!”

Sanji folded his hands on Ace’s chest and rested his chin on his knuckles. “Aren’t you cold on the floor?”

“Nah, I’m good!” Ace tucked one hand behind his head and let his eyes slip shut. “Wake me up before it’s time to go, okay sweetpea?”

“What if I fall asleep, too?” Sanji reached a hand out, carding his fingertips through Ace’s dark locks. “Then nobody will be watching the clock and we’ll be late again.”

Ace lowered his voice, pretending to be serious. “Guess we’ll just have to risk it?”

Sanji giggled at the response, causing Ace to laugh. His chest rumbled with the sound, shaking underneath Sanji and making the blond laugh. Any attempt Ace might’ve made to get some shut-eye vanished, dissolving into a giggle fit between him and his boyfriend. When they finally wrangled in their laughter, they were both pink in the face.

“I love you,” Ace said, breathless from the laughter and the way Sanji’s smile grew wider. 

“I love you, too,” Sanji replied, lowering his head to bring their lips together. 

It wasn’t the first time they’d said it, but it still made his heart flutter. That little handful of words would never stop making him feel like the luckiest man in the world. And he knew every time Ace said it, he felt the exact same way as his boyfriend; light as a feather, giddy as a child, and luckier than he ever thought he’d be.

Sanji pulled away to break the kiss but Ace lifted his head, reconnecting their lips. They both smiled into the kiss, Ace’s arms wrapping around Sanji’s waist while the latter’s hands framed Ace’s freckled face. 

They probably would’ve lost track of time like that, had a certain cat not jumped down from his cat tree and shoved himself between them.

Sanji broke away from Ace and sat up while Kotatsu walked in a circle on Ace’s chest. Laughing, Sanji exclaimed, “Hey, you little homewrecker!”

Kotatsu meowed and laid down on Ace’s chest, tucking his paws beneath his furry body. His tail flicked back and forth, hitting Ace right in the face. Kotatsu didn’t seem to notice or care, even when Ace loudly objected to such treatment. After a moment, Ace inhaled sharply, the fur on Kotatsu’s tail tickling his nose. He sneezed and Kotatsu jumped about a foot in the air. When he landed, he scrambled for shelter in Sanji’s lap.

“Oh, _now_ you want my attention?” Sanji remarked, scratching the cat underneath the chin. Kotatsu purred, his eyes shut and his tail curling around himself. “You’re such a little coward, getting scared by a _sneeze!”_

Kotatsu didn’t react to the comment, only meowing indignantly when Sanji stopped scratching him.

“And such an attention hog!” Ace added, sitting up and rubbing his nose. After he was sure he wouldn’t sneeze again, he started petting the top of Kotatsu’s head. “I swear, he loves bein’ the center of attention!”

“Sounds like Luffy,” Sanji joked, moving his hand to scratch the cat’s back. Kotatsu purred again and arched into Sanji’s hand. “Maybe Luffy was a cat in another life?”

“With as much as he eats, he was definitely somethin’ big!” Ace replied with a laugh. Kotatsu looked at Ace, suddenly deciding that he’d had enough of Sanji’s attention. Hopping off of Sanji’s lap, Kotatsu curled up on Ace’s instead. “Oh, now you wanna honey up to me, huh?”

Kotatsu meowed softly, butting his head against Ace’s hand.

Ace shook his head and gave in to the cat’s demands, scratching Kotatsu behind the ears. “You’re too much, Tatsu. You know that?”

Kotatsu meowed like he agreed, making Ace and Sanji laugh.

“Speaking of ‘too much’,” Sanji piped up, shifting until his legs were crossed. Leaning back on his hands, he continued, “How do you think my old geezer’s doing with George?”

“Oh, he’s probably fine!” Ace replied. “After all, it’s not like George is a _kitten._ He’s an older cat, so I doubt he’ll cause your pops too much trouble.”

“That’s true,” Sanji said, chuckling. “I can’t believe my geezer renamed him after his old fishing boat.”

“I think it’s sweet,” Ace said, smiling. “I never pictured your pops as a sentimental guy until I got to know him. He always seems so gruff and unapproachable. But he’s actually nice, in his own way.”

“He certainly seemed to get attached to that cat in a hurry.” Sanji leaned to the side, putting a hand on Ace’s shoulder. “You had the right idea, getting him a pet for his birthday. Stubborn old geezer would never go to the shelter on his own, so surprising him with a cat was the best way to go about it.”

“I think he had a suspicion we were doing that,” Ace admitted, shaking his head. “Your pops is too damn smart!”

Sanji scoffed. “Are you sure about that? Because you asking him if he liked cats was _a bit_ of a giveaway!”

Ace flushed light pink and shot Sanji an amused grin. “Oh, hush!”

“Not my fault that you’re bad at being subtle!” Sanji teased, his giggles cut off when Ace leaned forward to kiss him. Ace started to pull back but Sanji surged forward, bringing their lips together again. 

Kotatsu gave an impatient meow that made them break apart, laughing at the cat’s antics. 

“Oh hush, you little baby!” Ace chided, scratching Kotatsu between the ears. The cat purred loudly, putting his paws on Ace’s chest and closing his eyes. “Spoiled lil thing…”

“Speaking of ‘spoiled’-” Sanji said, getting to his feet. He motioned for Ace to stay where he was, and went over to their Christmas tree. “-I _might_ have gotten you an extra gift for you to open early?”

“Ain’t you sweet?” Ace picked Kotatsu up and set him down on the floor beside him. Ace palmed the nape of his neck, his blush almost disguised by the fire’s glow. “I uh, have a gift for you, too.”

“Oh?” Sanji glanced down at the gifts under the tree, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. “Where is it?”

“Let’s open your gift first, then I’ll show ya!” Ace replied, gesturing for Sanji to come over. “C’mon darlin’, what did ya get me?”

Sanji made his way over to him, careful not to step on Kotatsu, who insisted on choosing _now_ to rub up against Sanji’s legs. At last, he made it to Ace and sat down. He handed him the gift and watched him tear off the shiny wrapping paper.

“Hm, now what could it be?” Ace wondered aloud, tossing the crumpled paper to the side. Picking up the nondescript brown box, he turned it this way and that. “Way too big to be shoes. Too heavy, too.”

Sanji giggled, tucking a strand of blond hair behind his ear. “Why don’t you open it and find out, dear?”

Ace rolled his eyes, earning him a light smack on the arm from his boyfriend. He tore off the tape on the box and pulled back the flaps. After discarding the white packing peanuts, he lifted a red cooking pan out of the box.

“For me?” Ace asked, flipping the pan around to look at the bottom. His fingers traced the logo, then turned it right side up again. “That’s nice of you, darlin’!”

Sanji grinned, his cheeks dimpling. Leaning against Ace’s side, he said, “You’ve been cooking with me so much this past year. I figured it was time to get you _your_ first cooking pot! Or uh, in this case, a cooking _pan.”_ He chuckled at the slip-up, then asked, “Do you like it?”

“I _love_ it!” Ace assured him, winding an arm around Sanji’s waist. “Especially after hearing that.” He pressed a kiss to Sanji’s lips, short and sweet. “Thank you so much, darlin’.”

“Of course, my dear,” Sanji replied, his affectionate smile turning excited. “Now what about my gift?”

Ace’s smile froze, and when Sanji put a hand to his cheek, he could feel how hot his boyfriend’s face was. Ace cleared his throat, setting the pan back in the box and putting it off to the side. He took a deep breath like he was going to say something, but no words came from his lips.

Sanji’s smile fell and a wrinkle appeared between his brows. “Something wrong, dear?”

“No, no! Not at all!” Ace said, chuckling nervously. “I uh, I just need a moment to get up the nerve.” He scratched his neck, averting his eyes. “We’ve talked about this before, but I wasn’t sure _when_ you wanted me to ask. O-Or if _you_ wanted to be the one to do it!”

 _“Ace-”_ Sanji said, anxiety and thrilling anticipation swirling inside him. A sharp smile broke out on his face, like he knew what Ace was trying to ask. “-go on, my dear! What do you want to ask?”

Ace laughed, reaching into his back pocket. “Well, I suppose there ain’t no use in dancin’ around it, huh?”

He pulled out a ring box, gray and velvety to the touch. 

Even though Sanji had an inkling this would happen - given Ace’s unusual nervousness and choice of words - he still felt surprise explode in his chest. His hands flew to cover his mouth, concealing a wide, pearly grin beneath his palms. Sanji’s eyes were suddenly wet, the happiness he felt threatening to spill tears down his cheeks. 

Ace took a breath, opening the box to reveal a golden ring decorated with a small diamond. “Sorry it’s a bit plain, but I couldn’t afford one of those fancier ones. But I promise, I’ll get you a proper engagement ring someday!”

“Oh shut up, it’s perfect!” Sanji exclaimed, rushing forward to grab Ace’s face and yank him into a kiss. Without warning, he pulled back and laughed. Rubbing his knuckles against his eyes, he cleared away some of the tears blurring his vision. “Shit, I haven’t even let you _ask_ yet!”

Ace laughed along with him, easing his nerves now that he saw Sanji’s excitement. He cleared his throat again and held up the ring box. There was a slight tremble in his hands; joy and nerves that he couldn’t quite contain.

“Sanji, I know we’ve only been together for a year now, but you’re the only one I want,” Ace said, taking a breath before asking the question, “Will you marry me?”

Sanji nodded. _“Absolutely!”_

He didn’t even wait for the ring to slip onto his finger before closing the distance between them once again. His hands framed Ace’s face, tugging him into a sloppy kiss; they were both too lost in euphoria to be coordinated about it. 

When he finally did pull away, Ace took the ring out of its box. He held Sanji’s left hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles before sliding the ring onto his finger. The next second, he was being knocked to the floor by his fiancé, his freckled face peppered in kisses.

They ended up being late to dinner at Zeff’s. But all was forgiven as soon as Zeff opened the door and spied the ring on Sanji’s hand. 

**Author's Note:**

> I have a twitter if you wanna go follow me there!  
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/EclecticWrites  
> My handle is @EclecticWrites.
> 
> I have a tumblr, too!!  
> Tumblr: eclecticwrites.tumblr.com


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